I Know He Watches Me Part Two
by Scooplet
Summary: As Sarah and Matt begin their life together, the new season of their lives becomes bittersweet as they (and her family) must adapt to the rigors and challenges of Sarah's new job. Lee and Amanda struggle with the fine balance of supporting their daughter and desiring to protect her as she follows in their footsteps. Part two of a three-part story.
1. Chapter 1

Written by Scooplet

Concept by Cheryl and Scooplet

Scarecrow and Mrs. King characters are the property of Shoot the Moon Productions and Warner Bros. Television. No copyright infringement intended. Not for commercial use. Sarah Stetson and Matt Granger are my creation, however, so please respect my right to claim ownership of them—I do not authorize permission to use them in stories not authored by me.

 _Note on this story:_ thank you for the many kind reviews and messages I have received for Part One of _I Know He Watches Me_. I hope the continuation of that story will be just as enjoyable for you. Thank you for your support. It is my pleasure to write these stories for you, fellow fans of _Scarecrow and Mrs. King_. Stay tuned for the conclusion of this story, coming soon as Part Three.

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I Know He Watches Me, Part Two

Chapter One

 _I sing because I'm happy,_

 _I sing because I'm free_

 _For His eye is on the sparrow,_

 _And I know He watches me._

-From "His Eye is on the Sparrow" by Civilla D. Martin

 _March 2012_

"I have a bone to pick with you, kiddo." Grace's mouth was set in a firm line. Although she was as slim as Sarah, she was a good four inches shorter. Nevertheless, she had learned over the years how to command a presence, and she seemed rather threatening now.

"Are you okay?" While Sarah had been ill more times than not when she was with Grace Tanaka over the past few weeks, this time she was worried more about Grace. Since their accident the day before, Sarah had not seen her partner. But Grace had managed to find her in a rare moment alone—waiting to speak with Dr. Kirby, the Agency psychiatrist. Kirby's receptionist was out sick for the day, so Sarah had the waiting room to herself.

With an impatient wave of her hand, Grace dismissed Sarah's concern. "I'm fine—or I will be once the swelling goes down in my knee. I guess I knocked it pretty hard against something when the truck hit us." Grace resumed her stance. "But enough about me. I'm ticked at you." Seeing her young protégé's expression, Grace's face softened. "I heard from Ryan Johnson that you kicked Jamal's butt."

Surprised, Sarah managed, "I thought that was top level clearance information."

"Not anymore—at least the security level has been lowered. A major threat has been arrested, thanks to an Agency freshman. Francine was singing your praises at the staff meeting this morning. It's not national news, but it's news around here." Grace shifted uncomfortably, reminding Sarah that her friend had her own bone to pick with Jamal. "Thanks to you, Jamal is hurting where it counts. You got the jerk back for having his thugs slam their truck into us."

"Yeah, well, it was the only move I could make, since he had my hands bound."

Grace sat down next to Sarah. "So, you knew what was happening all along. You didn't bother to tell me—even when you left me in that car. There were thugs chasing you." She paused and whispered, "Is the baby okay?"

Chagrined, Sarah had trouble meeting Grace's gaze. "Yes, we're fine… And I couldn't tell you. I don't even know what clearance they gave our assignment. Something I had never heard of before."

"Jamal never showed up here."

"You aren't supposed to know he was involved."

"That part was obvious."

"And I really can't talk about it. We had a meeting this morning, and Gil Barclay himself told me I have to keep my lips zipped."

"I heard you got a few good licks in." Grace reached over and pushed the hair away from Sarah's forehead. "It looks like you got a couple, too."

"That might have been the thugs. Trust me, the other guy has it worse."

"But he never made it to the ambulance. The paramedics complained that the NSA people took him away while they were trying to treat him."

"I really can't talk about it Grace." Sarah looked up and was grateful to see her husband emerging from Kirby's office. Now she had an excuse to end the conversation.

"Oh, well. I tried." Grace greeted Matt with a small wave and left the waiting room, a noticeable limp to her gait.

"Kirby told me to tell you to go straight in. He wants to meet with both of us after you're done."

"Oh. Richard Wong is going to have a fit."

"He's not going to be looking for you until after the class returns from paintball at two. That gives us time to eat a long lunch together."

Sarah grinned up at her husband. "I guess that's supposed to be an invitation to lunch."

Matt's smile was crooked. "This has been a hard week so far. I thought it would be good to get away from here alone, even if it's only for a couple of hours."

Sarah nodded and squeezed Matt's hand before turning to go into Kirby's office. He watched her go and then found a chair. Leaning back, he closed his eyes, his mind still on Sarah.

He had trouble putting a label on the emotions his wife had displayed when he had found her. She had been as relieved as he was, perhaps more so. She had told him that she had been terrified until the moment she had recognized him and realized she was finally safe. And she appeared to be telling the truth about Jamal. Sarah had none of the symptoms that rape victims might display. He breathed a prayer of thanks. But she had been traumatized. When he had turned out the bedside lamp that night and crawled into bed, Sarah had been tense, trembling even.

 _Hoping to calm her, Matt smoothed Sarah's hair. She smelled of roses once again. Despite her fatigue, she had insisted on showering before they climbed into bed. Matt wondered if she had been eager to get rid of Jamal's scent, too. He did not want to think about why the man's heavy cologne had clung to his wife's clothing and hair._

Kirby insisted they talk about that and other things in their session. He just wanted to forget about everything.

 _The trembling was a reaction to the darkness of the room. It was too soon since Sarah's frightening experience wearing the hood and hiding in the blackness of the subterranean passageway. Matt turned the lamp back on, leaving it on low as he took Sarah in his arms. Fighting his own drowsiness, he waited for the tension to leave her body. Running his hands over her back, he hoped to soothe her. As he closed his eyes briefly with a silent prayer, he moved to kiss her forehead. That gesture was the trigger. Tears tracked down Sarah's face, and Matt felt a wave of relief. He knew it would help Sarah to cry—it had worked in the past. But there was no sound, none of the sobbing Matt had heard from her before. Several tissues and about a half an hour later, Sarah finally drifted off to sleep. Exhausted, Matt had not been far behind._

 _In the morning, Matt had expected Sarah to mention the tears, but she was cheerful. He had brought her the usual tea and toast, and she had felt well enough to drink a protein shake. The ride to work had been uneventful and Sarah had seemed in reasonably good spirits at the meeting._

 _He worried she was bottling up her feelings._ That can't be good for the baby, _he mused._ Maybe Kirby will get her to open up. _Matt felt a pang of hurt at the thought. He had hoped that Sarah would open up to him first. She always had in the past, and now that they were married, he certainly expected her to now._

He realized he must have drifted off when Dr. Kirby's voice roused Matt. "Agent Granger, why don't you join us now?"

Glancing up, Matt saw the psychiatrist standing in the doorway of his office, a smile on his face. Matt guessed that Sarah had not opened up after all. He stood and followed Kirby into his office, where Matt found Sarah seated on the couch, smiling up at him. She patted the spot next to her and he sat there.

"Well, I think you'll be pleased to hear that Sarah is not showing any signs of PTSD or anything other than a normal response at this time."

Bemused, Matt queried, "What do you consider a normal response?"

"Sarah described how it was difficult to get to sleep last night. It was good for her to release her anxiety by crying."

"Should I be helping Sarah in any way? What if she has a reaction later?" Remembering how Sarah had reacted to the blood when he had gone hunting with his father, Matt was concerned. During that November visit to Texas, he had already recovered physically from the knife fight that had traumatized her, but he had been forced to realize she had not recovered emotionally. He had trouble believing that Sarah was not enduring some kind of trauma from her experience with Jamal.

"Matt, I was angry at the suspect." They could not use Jamal's name with Kirby in the room.

"He hit you with a belt." Matt's voice was pained. "There was a hood on your head."

"But it didn't hurt as much as he thought it did."

"But Sarah, you have bruises."

"I was in a fight with a man who was bigger than me. I may have been angry about him hurting me at first, but I was really glad to give him a few licks. I've actually felt a little guilty about it today."

Dr. Kirby interjected, "Sarah, we discussed that…"

"Oh, I know. I just was explaining to Matt. I felt like I shouldn't have taken my anger out on the suspect." Sarah turned to Dr. Kirby. "But it helped keep me from bottling up my frustrations."

"Unless I hear from your superiors, I won't counsel you on the degree of force you have to use on assailants. I'm just here to help you deal with any feelings you have afterwards." Kirby turned to Matt. "Chief Beaman said there were no issues with Sarah's conduct."

Matt bristled a little at Kirby's choice of words, but kept his feelings to himself. "So what you're saying is that Sarah kicked the heck out of the guy, got the trauma out of her system, and is just fine now?"

"Well, there was the fear of being caught. But we worked through that. Sarah will see me again a few more times. It's a good idea if she is going to be in the field. Agents have to cope with those feelings quite often, and the stress can be harmful."

"But the man did something to Sarah, even if he did not assault her. This was not just the fear of being caught."

It was Sarah's turn to interject. "Matt, he held me up against his body. I told you that. He said things and acted like he intended to assault me at some point, but he didn't. Just when he thought he finally had me where he wanted me, I kneed him, and then used my heel to kick him. And I purposefully put myself in that position so I could make him hurt."

"It was a big risk." Matt passed a hand over his eyes, trying to remove the images in his head.

Kirby shifted in his seat. "Sarah's symptoms last night were probably a result of the stress she endured after fleeing her assailant. But I feel confident she can work through them." He leaned forward and peered at Matt. "I am concerned about you as well, Mr. Granger."

Matt glanced back and forth between Kirby and Sarah. His posture was rigid and defensive. "How so?"

"You have a past history of stress after a situation where Sarah's life was endangered. You've demonstrated signs today of that same stress recurring. It's a common issue and one I feel we can work through—as we've done before."

Sighing, Matt asked, "How many sessions?"

"Our goal is to help you cope with having your wife in the field."

"She's going to be in Analysis."

"Not according to her profile."

Sarah placed her hand on Matt's arm. "I overheard Francine tell you that she was giving you a lighter load for a couple of weeks. She's supposed to talk to Wong about letting me take a weekend off. You've had a lot on your plate."

"That's true, but so have you. We could use a weekend off. We could use the rest of this week off."

Kirby broke into their discussion. "Mr. Granger, I'd like to see you a few more times."

Doing his best not to roll his eyes, Matt persisted. "For how long?"

"For as long as it takes. For now, let's schedule a couple of appointments."

"Well, thanks for that." Matt stood and held out his hand to Sarah to help her up. "I guess our time is up. I have a lunch date with Sarah and I'd like to make the most of it."

"Let's just look at my calendar first."

Realizing that he had no choice but to schedule the sessions, Matt followed Dr. Kirby to the computer at the reception desk.

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Later that night in their bed, Matt lay on his back, willing himself to sleep. Curled up against his side, Sarah breathed softly. She had been sound asleep for perhaps an hour. The warmth of her body next to his and her closeness were comforting. From the first night of their marriage they both had been able to sleep like this—until now. Despite the fear of the night before, Sarah had not needed the lights on tonight. She had drifted off just a minute or two after her head hit the pillow.

Imagining her exhaustion was probably due to the pregnancy, stress, and having so much on her plate, Matt felt helpless. It was no wonder he was tense. Early the next morning Sarah was scheduled for an examination with the obstetrician. Despite his concern for Sarah's health, he could not resist the glimmer of excitement as he anticipated discussing their baby with Sarah's doctor. Immediately following that thrill of excitement came a frisson of tension once again. What if Jamal had somehow endangered their baby? Matt knew that the man had not hurt his wife, but it had been such a huge risk.

Unable to shake the images in his mind, Matt could not sleep. He imagined Jamal touching Sarah, even kissing her, before she could place her knee in his groin. How would he be able to touch or kiss his wife in their bed without those images coming back to him? And what might have happened to Sarah if she had not been able to disable Jamal? The man certainly had planned to kill her. Ryan had found a knife hidden under the man's pant leg. Perhaps he would have used that. With the real possibility of Sarah becoming a field agent, Matt imagined that a scenario like the one from the other night could happen again.

While Matt had been inwardly frustrated, angry even, that he was forced to visit Dr. Kirby again, he now realized that the man was right. In fact, he was grateful. It helped to pray through the feelings, but Matt needed to talk to someone, too. It was difficult to talk with Pastor Carlson because he could never be specific or even give the man a hint that he worked as an operative.

Besides, Dr. Kirby knew what it had been like for Matt in Afghanistan. Few people at the Agency did. While Dr. Kirby had not seen action there, he had heard Matt's stories and had his own experiences from the first Gulf war. Those who had not seen a battle or street violence could comprehend what it was like to live in ongoing fear of losing one's comrades. That was why Matt had not made many friends. But Sarah was more than a friend. Now Matt faced the possibility of losing his wife.

Wound up so tightly he could not even relax, Matt knew he could not stay this way until he spoke with Kirby again. It would be two more days until his next appointment. Friday—they would go into the Agency that morning, and in the afternoon drive up to Pennsylvania to a small ski resort. It would not have the skiing they had enjoyed in Colorado, but he had read that downhill skiing was not recommended for pregnant women. They could spend a little time on the easy slopes and do some hiking. And there would be no Jamal to worry about.

Tomorrow and the next day Richard Wong had requested that Matt join Sarah's class and help them with their urban assault skills. He had admitted that they were sorely lacking in team unity and that he was not nearly as experienced with that form of warfare as Matt was. While he had been in Afghanistan to venture out on intelligence missions, he been involved in gun battles in a few rural villages and he had trained extensively with his unit on urban assault. Wong was anxious to have his input and help. The Agency's freshman class was up against a team from NSA at Fort Knox in a month, and Wong intended for his team to win.

Perhaps it was the exhaustion left over from the day before, or just that his thoughts had drifted, but Matt finally found his eyelids drooping. At last he fell asleep.

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Despite Matt's upbeat mood as they arrived at the doctor's office, Sarah had sensed an underlying tension in her husband. She hoped that he could work things out with the Agency's therapist. Part of that tension may have been concern for the baby after all that Sarah had gone through on Monday. But that tension evaporated during her examination.

As Dr. Elliott listened to Sarah's lungs and heart, she chatted with them. "I'm sure it's a bit nerve-wracking, waiting for the preliminary results on the blood work. But we like to be sure that the pregnancy is progressing nicely before we decide what type of an examination we will give baby and mama."

Sarah had taken to Dr. Elliott's bedside manner. The obstetrician was nearly old enough to be a grandmother herself, and had relayed to them at the beginning of the appointment that she had given birth to three children of her own. Sarah had not failed to see Matt smile at the use of the word "mama." He seemed to like her doctor, too.

"We still have a few additional tests to run, but the ones we needed for today show that your pregnancy is progressing normally, Sarah." Dr. Elliott glanced at Matt as she asked, "So, I take it this was all a surprise. I see in the chart that I prescribed birth control pills for Sarah not long ago." While her expression was open, it was obvious to Sarah that the physician was gauging Matt's response and hers.

Blushing, Sarah replied, "Um, yes. We were going to wait a couple of years. This is my fault. I was stressed at work and I didn't take all of my pills when I was supposed to."

Matt stepped closer to Sarah, who was sitting in nothing but a hospital gown, feeling vulnerable, on the edge of the examination table. He placed an arm around her shoulders. "I could have reminded you. But we both wanted to have kids at some point. I guess God has his own timing."

Dr. Elliott smiled knowingly. "Well, babies often have a way of showing up on a different schedule than ours."

Relaxing a little, Sarah offered, "I'm sure you've seen that a lot. My mom told me I was three weeks early."

"That can happen. But I always tell my patients that just because their mother delivered them early, late, or on-time does not mean they will deliver early, late, or on-time. We'll figure out a due date, but I'd like to look for a heartbeat first."

Matt stepped out of the way as Sarah lay back on the table. Soon a there was vague, hazy image on the screen. Dr. Elliott played with the controls. "There we are." She pointed to the screen briefly, and then took measurements. "Your baby is five millimeters long. And there—" Sarah detected a slight note of excitement in the woman's voice as she pointed to the screen. "See that fluttering? That's your baby's heart beating."

"Oh!" Unable to articulate the emotions overwhelming her, Sarah glanced up at Matt at the same time his eyes went to hers. He gripped her shoulder and smiled, his eyes shining.

Soon they were discussing menstrual cycles and dates, the doctor determining that Sarah's due date was October 25. "Because the baby is already at five millimeters, there is a possibility you could be a little further along, but we'll keep checking your progress. Some babies are just longer than others."

Sitting once again on the edge of the examining table, Sarah wrapped the gown more tightly around her as she ventured, "Uh, I was wondering, Dr. Elliott. I did take some of the birth control pills after our baby was conceived. I didn't realize I might be pregnant. Do you think that will have hurt her—or him?"

"It's not likely, given your baby's fetal development. Your baby seems to be doing very well."

About twenty minutes later, Sarah and Matt were walking to the Volvo, their coats wrapped snugly around them as they bent into the wind from the most recent winter storm. Normally, Sarah would be wishing for spring on a day like that, but her mind was elsewhere. They did not say anything until they were inside the car.

"Can you believe that little tiny heart was beating? Our baby's heart?" Sarah detected the note of awe in Matt's voice.

She sighed in response, a happy smile on her face. "It's pretty amazing. I like the doctor. She really made me feel comfortable with everything."

"I was just glad that she said both you and baby are doing well."

He reached for her hand, but Sarah leaned over the console to hug Matt instead. He hugged her back.

"I love you, Matt." Her eyes were shining as she grinned. "You're going to be a daddy." Sarah sat back in her seat and placed her hand on her abdomen. "You already are one."

He leaned over to kiss her, caressing her cheek as he pulled away. "Are you going to mind waiting to tell people about the baby? My mom suggested that we wait until about ten weeks—that's almost a month away."

"Well, our parents know, and our partners know." She frowned. "I guess we can expect spies to figure things like that out, especially since I was not able to hide the symptoms from Grace and I opened my big mouth in front of Rene."

"Now, Sarah," Matt remonstrated. "It's probably good if they know. Rene knows the ropes and Grace will understand if you are working with her again."

"Dr. Elliott said we should notify the Agency—well, my work—soon. She's pretty concerned about me becoming a high-risk pregnancy if I continue with the physical regimen Richard has us working. But I'm afraid of how Richard Wong will react."

"We can't wait too long to tell them. You and I both know you can't take another assignment like the one with Jamal." Matt breathed a prayer of thanks that the hand-to-hand training had ended.

Sarah looked sharply at Matt. She agreed that stressful assignments were a risk to their baby—and she had reservations about either one of them taking dangerous assignments if they had children. Not only that, but the hand-to-hand combat she had practiced in her training had been a risk, too. However, there was more to her husband's tone. "I think we agree about field work and being parents. But there's something else on your mind."

They were on the road now, and Matt kept his eyes fixed on the cars ahead of them, hesitating before he answered. "I've just had a lot going through my head. I have to admit I'm glad I have an appointment with Kirby on Friday. I can't get these images out of my head—you and Jamal, what he tried to do…"

Placing her hand on Matt's shoulder, Sarah's voice was firm. "You read the report. Everything is in there. Yes, the man kissed me on the neck. And it was gross. Disgusting. He was hoping for something, and I did not let him get it. He never even got a button undone. He never had a chance to touch more than my arm—and he was too busy hanging onto me to do anything else."

"I know. I know." Matt glanced out the side window of the car and schooled his features as he tried to reign in his emotions. "I'm letting my imagination get away from me."

"I know it's hard, but you have to think of other things. We'll have a good weekend away, and that will help."

"You don't mind if we don't ski? I think we should follow Dr. Elliott's advice."

"I was kind of thinking it might not be a great idea. Some doctors say it's okay, but we can have fun doing other things." She smiled, assuming Matt would understand her hidden meaning.

Matt tried to return her smile, but his heart was not in it. He needed to talk things out with Kirby.

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"But we were so looking forward to you joining us at Phillip's house this weekend. He was reaching out, sweetheart."

Amanda noted the hesitation on Sarah's end of the call. Perhaps she was not ready to forgive Phillip's hurtful actions weeks ago. Now that Jamal had been caught, Phillip had acted as if nothing had ever happened. It was like a switch being flipped. She could understand Sarah's reluctance to jump back into things.

"At least come for an hour to see the kids."

"Mom, I would love to see the kids, but we booked a condo in the Poconos. We need to get away."

"Couldn't you postpone your trip?"

"Matt has been wanting us to get away more often. We've only gone to the cabin just the one time since the honeymoon. Besides, Richard Wong has me scheduled to work in the bullpen next Saturday in return for letting us leave before noon on Friday. We get the entire weekend, Mom."

"I shouldn't pressure you. I just miss having the family get together."

"I guess it would be out of the question for the family to postpone. I'll be off on Sunday that weekend."

"Well, you know how Jennifer and Amy plan things…"

Sarah did know. It was reasonable to expect her sisters-in-law to have plans. But she wished that they might work their schedules around her for a change. While she had not babysat in months, Sarah had put in her share of weekend nights over the years caring for either her nephews, her niece, or all three of them together. She had rearranged her teaching schedule a few times while studying for her Master's just so she could be available for birthday parties. Yes, one of them had been her own, but the party had been scheduled at others' convenience.

She supposed that was her fault. At some point Sarah had given Amy and Jennifer the impression that she was happy to make the changes to her schedule when she had begun participating regularly in family gatherings after graduating from college and returning to D.C. As for the other inconveniences—usually on weekends—Sarah had to admit that giving up a college party in order to help her family and spend time with her niece and nephews was a worthwhile cause.

But she was married now, and Matt needed to come first. "I'm sorry Mom. We're going to be out of town this weekend."

"I can ask Matt. He'll understand."

"Mother! You will not ask Matt. Please respect our plans. It's important to Matt and to me for us to get away. I don't want you to call him and make him feel guilty. Besides, you ought to know better. You would never have let me pull a stunt like that with you, Daddy, or Grandma. If one of you said no, I respected it." Her outburst over, Sarah thought she could hear her father in the background.

"Of course. It was stupid of me to suggest that. I sound like my own mother."

"I take it Daddy lectured you on that end, too."

"He started to, but you had already done a good job on your own."

"Mom, I've changed my plans around for the family many times. This time I need to stick to them."

"I hope you two have fun, sweetheart."

Sarah could detect the note of chagrin in her mother's voice. "Thanks for understanding, Mom. Please give Daddy a hug for me."

"We love you, Sarah."

"I love you both, too."

Sighing, Sarah ended the call. What had started out as a happy conversation about her pregnancy had turned into a guilt trip. That was so unlike her mother, and it had left Sarah feeling deflated. This should be a happy time. There was no monster hovering in the background anymore. Instead, there was a new life joining their family. They would not tell her brothers for another month or so, but she still felt as if someone had stuck her balloon with a pin.

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Settling into her seat, Sarah took a sip of herbal tea from her thermal mug and stared out the window. Patches of snow dotted the countryside along the interstate. She turned to Matt. The tension he had carried with him all week had lessened dramatically. After telling her briefly that the appointment with Dr. Kirby had been really helpful, they had dropped the subject, agreeing that they would not talk about Jamal all weekend. She searched for another topic of conversation.

"It's really been nice having you coach us with the assault training. Morale has been really low, and we've lost people. Now we have to include NSA recruits on our team."

"Forget that. The NSA people would throw it so their buddies can win. Rene and I will be there. I might have Johnson come along, too."

"But there's only three of you. We can have up to six people from other teams—NSA said they'd help out."

"Six people who will throw it—or at best be inexperienced. Besides, you can only have up to three non-trainees—good thing we all have less than five years' intelligence experience, too."

"True. There are so many rules." Sarah held the cup in her hands, letting the last of the warmth drift up to her face. She watched Matt as he changed lanes. "It's pretty nice of you and Rene to help us out. Rene could just stay home with Patti."

"He told me she has plans to hang out with her sister that weekend—do you realize it's only a month away? You're halfway done with your training. By the end of April—only a month after that—you'll be working in the field."

Sarah, who had been growing sleepy, placed the mug in the cup holder. "Well, only on that two-month probation. But Grace says she's looking forward to it. Supposedly we stay in D.C. for that phase." She yawned.

"Listen, it's only a couple of hours until we get there. Why don't you take a little nap?"

Tilting her seat back, Sarah assented, "I think I will. I can hardly keep my eyes open."

"Dr. Elliott said that will improve during the second trimester."

"I hope so. I get so drowsy sometimes." Sarah's words slurred a little, and after a minute, Matt glanced over and saw that she was already asleep.

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The next morning, Matt was up before Sarah, watching the birds on their condo's deck. A cup of tea waited in the microwave, and on the counter nearby, a rice cake sat on a plate. They had eaten an early dinner of pizza and salad after checking into the condo. Sometimes a dinner like that led to morning sickness the next day, and Matt wanted to be ready to head it off before it ruined Sarah's morning. He wanted to enjoy the day with her, too.

He gazed at the light as it filtered through the trees, making the ice-encrusted snow to glitter in the sunshine. Squirrels were playing a game of hide and seek among the shrubs close to the cabin, and Matt found himself chuckling at their antics until he heard water running somewhere in the condo. He walked down the hallway.

Sarah was just emerging from the bathroom as Matt came down the hall. Seeing her expression, he guided her to the bed, where she curled up on her side. After pulling up the covers, he sat down gently beside her, taking care not to disturb the bed too much. "Did you just get sick?"

Groaning a little, Sarah shifted her legs. Her voice was muffled and a little hoarse. "Just dry heaves. I was brushing my teeth, and…" Sarah's mouth formed a tight line as she appeared to battle another wave of nausea.

Matt made a mental note to avoid pizza for a while. He ran his hand tentatively along Sarah's back, hoping she would find it soothing. When she did not say anything for a moment, he kept caressing her.

After a minute she murmured, "Mmm. That feels good."

He was thinking the same thing, but he tried to concentrate on helping Sarah feel better. "Do you want a little tea?"

"Maybe in a little bit."

Matt continued the back rub for a few minutes, and then stood. "I'll be right back."

Not daring to move, Sarah merely mumbled into the pillow. "Mm hmm."

Returning with the tea and rice cake, Matt had a goal in mind. Almost every time Sarah nibbled some dry toast or a rice cake and sipped the tea, her nausea lessened. Some days she was able to eat a normal breakfast, too. He broke off a small piece of the rice cake and offered it to her.

Knowing the routine, Sarah took the morsel and slowly chewed it. Carefully she sat up in the bed and took the cup of tea, holding it under her nose so the steam would soothe her. She took a sip. They sat like that for several minutes as Sarah slowly sipped the tea and nibbled the rice cake. Finally, she spoke. "You know, you're spoiling me rotten."

"Oh, really?" Matt was incredulous. "I'm not sure I'd agree. You get the morning sickness and all the other symptoms of pregnancy. All I have to do is heat up some water and open a package."

After swallowing another bite of rice cake, Sarah continued, "Yes, really. You have had so much on your plate, yet you still think of the little things and take care of me. You're a wonderful husband." She reached out to pat his leg as Matt sat on the bed. "You are going to be a great daddy, too."

Matt did not answer right away, uncomfortable with the praise. He watched Sarah's outstretched legs and saw her toes wiggling under the covers. Reaching over, he rubbed her feet through the blankets. "You're sweet to say that. Thanks. But you know, it makes me happy to do things for you."

After taking a few more sips of tea and bites of rice cake, Sarah leaned forward to kiss Matt on the cheek. "I already feel much better." Pulling back the covers, she slid to the edge of the bed. "Let's go eat some breakfast. Now I'm starving."

Chuckling over the mercurial state of Sarah's stomach, Matt followed her out of the room.

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"So, how was the condo in the Poconos?" Lee watched Matt as the young agent took a swig of root beer. While he was nursing a glass of ale, he noted with satisfaction that his son-in-law did not drink during the workday.

Matt set the bottle down on the heavy wooden table. He glanced around the old pub, a favorite of Lee's, and identified several other members of the intelligence community at the tables and bar. Most were members of the old guard—veterans who had been serving their country for decades. A few new faces, like his, were scattered around the room. He wondered idly if the civilians had any clue how many spies surrounded them.

He thought about how Jamal, an arms dealer and terrorist, slipped in and out of public places all over the world for years. He had been in D.C., but they had only found him after placing Sarah in grave danger. The two sessions with Kirby and the weekend in the Poconos had helped Matt with his fears and stress, but the idea of another Jamal coming along was still a reality. A reality he would have to learn to accept. For now, he should enjoy living a fairly normal life once again.

Belatedly he realized he had not answered Lee's question. "Sorry, I was distracted." Matt sat up straight. "It was really nice. We hiked where the snow wasn't too deep and did a little sledding. Or rather, Sarah took a couple of slow runs and let me do most of the sledding."

"I'm surprised she was willing to stand by and not join you. She loves a little thrill—and she likes speed."

"Well, we're trying to be careful for the baby's sake." Matt sipped his root beer again. "As for speed, I guess Sarah will get that when they start the driving portion of training next week."

"Is she feeling any better?"

"Not yet. But we've got it down. It was pretty bad when we didn't know how to manage it. Now that Sarah is eating enough, she doesn't get sick as easily."

Lee waited while the waitress served them their hamburgers. As soon as she walked away, he resumed their conversation. "You folks still doing hand-to-hand? You should really tell Wong that Sarah needs a pass on that."

"We're working on the assault techniques now. Thankfully the hand-to-hand has ended for now. Sarah does some running around in the assault training, but there is no contact."

"It just seems that those stupid paint balls can't be safe—what if she gets hit in the stomach?"

"We're using the laser tag facility for now. She'll have to tell Wong if we do paint ball again. That's just too much—they run farther and the terrain is rough."

The two men were quiet as they ate their food. After a few minutes, Lee ventured, "I wish Sarah could stay out of the field. That whole thing with Jamal really makes my skin crawl. I can't tell you the number of times I've wanted to talk with Gil Barclay again about putting Sarah in Analysis like she was promised. But Francine would resent it. She's earned the right to have me stay out of her hair."

"Why isn't Francine doing anything about it? She can't stand Wong."

"Is it that obvious?" Lee chuckled. "I should probably not say this to one of her team, but she was never very good about hiding that sort of thing."

"I guess she has no say in hiring and firing?"

"She does, but she'll need a damn good reason to fire Wong." Lee grabbed a French fry and sat back in his seat. "Don't tell Amanda I got these. She always makes me order fruit or something." He smirked and bit into another fry, but soon grew thoughtful. "There might be another reason why Wong is still in place. I've been stewing on something. I can't say what exactly, but if I'm right, it could blow everything out of the water."

"I'm assuming you can't give me any details."

"Not yet. As Amanda pointed out, I have no evidence to support my suspicions."

"I just wish there was something we could do sooner than later."

"You know, none of us saw Wong becoming a tyrant. We might have brought Chen back sooner or brought Sanders down from New York. Tanaka was on the list, but she wanted to stay in the field."

Matt was grateful for a way to change the subject. "Well, I for one am glad that Grace is Sarah's partner. She's a great agent, methodical, stable, mature. She would be great as the trainer." Matt watched Lee eat a few more French fries before pushing the plate away with most of the fries still remaining on it. Matt stared down at the table and smiled to himself. Despite Lee's occasional blustering or bravado, it was obvious that he listened to his wife.

"Yeah. I see you taking that job in a few years. You just need more experience before they'll look at you."

Matt's head came up and he looked sharply at Lee. "What gives you that idea—that they'd want me for the freshmen trainer?"

"I watched you working with Sarah when you'd spar together in the backyard. I've seen you giving Rene—technically the senior agent, by the way—tips, when you thought no one was paying attention."

"It's just stuff I picked up in the Army."

"Well, it counts as experience, and you're passing it on to others." As the waitress dropped off the check, Lee reached for it. "Maybe you could go into private consulting someday. It sure pays the bills better than Uncle Sam does."

Unsure how to respond, Matt thanked Lee for the compliment. The words "private consulting" kept repeating themselves in his head as Lee paid the bill and they left the pub.

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As they sang the chorus of the last worship song in the church service, Matt glanced over at Sarah. Her eyes met his and she smiled. It felt good to have her standing beside him in church, something that did not happen as much as he would have liked since their wedding. He felt an ache when he thought of how they could be separated over weekends if she were to be assigned to another office. While it panged him to think of it, he also knew he was in denial about what to do once the baby was born.

Before his thoughts could travel very far, the song ended and church came to a close with a prayer from Pastor Carlson. Soon the congregation had gathered in the church's foyer for coffee and fellowship. Matt was bringing a cup of tea to Sarah, who was in conversation with Mrs. Schmidt, when their friend Cheryl stopped him.

"I see you're on an errand, Matt, but I was wondering if you could check my garage door opener sometime soon. It's making quite a racket and my neighbor keeps complaining."

"Sounds like it just needs a little lubricant and maybe an adjustment or two. Let me just check with Sarah, but we could probably come over this afternoon."

"Thank you, dear. That would be so very helpful."

Matt left Cheryl to talk with her friends as he made his way over to Sarah, who was alone now. He handed her the cup.

"What did Cheryl want?"

"Oh, you saw us? She needs me to check her garage door opener. Sounds like routine maintenance—stuff I used to do with Dad. I was hoping you could come along with me this afternoon."

"Of course. I'd like that."

Sarah was sipping her tea when Pastor Carlson stepped over to them. They exchanged greetings and smiled at one another. Matt was searching for something to say when the pastor spoke first.

"I was glad to see you join us for church today, Sarah. We've missed having you here every week."

"Well, I'm afraid that as the new kid at our film company, I don't get every Sunday off. I hope to eventually."

Matt was impressed at how smoothly Sarah worked their cover with their pastor. She had told him before that as long as she was not lying, she felt no guilt. And she had years of practice with two parents in the intelligence business. Still, Matt always felt a twinge of discomfort when they used their cover with someone like their pastor, the man who had counseled them on several occasions.

"What do they make you do on Sundays in the film business?"

"Mostly overtime and extra work, making sure things are covered for the next week." Sarah still was not lying. It was true that she picked up extra research for Jamie's team when she sat in the bullpen on the weekend. Jamie was taking every opportunity he could to give Sarah some kind of experience in Analysis. He had not given up on having her work for him. He figured the more work she did in Analysis, the stronger his argument to assign her there would be.

"Well, I'm glad you did not have to work this Sunday. How are you holding up with that heavy workload?"

"Pretty well, I suppose." Sarah's eyes met Matt's.

He nodded at her briefly, and placed a hand on her shoulder. "Actually, we have some news. It's meant to be kept confidential—we aren't making it public just yet."

"Oh?" Pastor Carlson's eyes took on a gleam. He seemed to guess their news already.

"We're expecting." Matt's neck was pink, but he fought to keep his embarrassment in check.

The gleam in the pastor's eyes intensified to delight, but his response was hushed. "What good news." He glanced around, anxious to ensure that no curious eyes or ears were turned their direction. "And I'm glad you told me. I'll be praying for both the baby and you, Sarah." He directed his gaze to Matt. "And for Daddy. I know you both can handle being parents, but you've been through a lot of changes in the last year."

"Please pray for Sarah's health. With her hours, I worry about her."

"Of course." At the sound of his name, he looked around to see who was calling for him, and turned back to Matt and Sarah. "I do need to speak with Mr. and Mrs. Jones. Please let me know if you need anything. I'll be giving you a call soon."

Matt watched the pastor walk away as Sarah took another sip of her tea. It was reassuring to know that someone else was praying for his wife. He was not alone.


	2. Chapter 2

Written by Scooplet

Concept by Cheryl and Scooplet

Scarecrow and Mrs. King characters are the property of Shoot the Moon Productions and Warner Bros. Television. No copyright infringement intended. Not for commercial use. Sarah Stetson and Matt Granger are my creation, however, so please respect my right to claim ownership of them—I do not authorize permission to use them in stories not authored by me.

I Know He Watches Me, Part Two

Chapter Two

Matt was mulling over Lee's suggestion about consulting the following week as he watched Sarah and the other freshmen in their laser tag assault simulation. It was a warm-up round, but the new agents were taking it seriously. They were practicing for a far-different scenario than what he might encounter in the private sector. Security consulting, depending up on the type of clients, occasionally could be risky, but it was generally not a dangerous profession. But he would need a few more years' experience at the Agency first. As Matt watched Sarah dodging around corners and employing strategy with her team, he was struck by another memory.

 _He had been assigned to gather information on a remote village that was thought to have insurgents hiding out nearby. Although he had a native Afghan whom he trusted working with him, it was still a high risk operation. With his full beard, hair dyed a dark brown, and his skin darkened by the sun and a little artificial pigmentation, Matt's only stand-out feature would have been his grey eyes, but he was wearing brown contact lenses. They had gathered all the intelligence they could as his Afghan friend had traded goods with the local villagers, but they had been followed out of the town. When they heard the first gunshots, they assumed they were being fired upon, and they had little chance of making it back to the base alive. While his companion sped recklessly over the winding roads, Matt had kept his rifle pointed out the back of the truck, ready to fire on any assailants. Yet the gunshots had died away and they had arrived safely at the base early the next day._

 _Matt still had no idea how they had managed to survive, other than by the grace of God—especially after he read an intelligence report that said they had narrowly avoided a confrontation with the very insurgents on whom he had been seeking intelligence. While the military had used his intel to take out the leaders and destroy their base the next day, several villagers had lost their lives that night. Matt could easily have been one of the casualties._

 _Then there was the time he really had come close to dying. Running his hand across his middle, Matt could not feel the scars from the knife attack through his shirt, but they were still a little sensitive to the touch. That time, they almost had taken Sarah—possibly permanently—away. It had happened again with Jamal. He shuddered involuntarily. They were going to be parents in less than seven months. What if one or both of them died and left their child an orphan? How could he explain to their son or daughter that their mother had been taken away and they still had no idea if she was dead or alive?_

"Granger!"

Startled out of his reverie, Matt realized that Wong had been calling his name.

"If you're awake, they're ready to start the exercise."

Ignoring Richard's sneer, Matt stepped forward to the microphone to offer instructions and advice to the new agents waiting outside the control room.

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"So, are your parents thrilled about the baby?"

Watching as Patti Enriquez expertly flipped the warming tortillas with one hand, Sarah could not help but notice how Rene's wife rested her other hand on her protruding belly. With only about two months left in her pregnancy, Patti was beginning to look uncomfortable. A pang of guilt stabbed Sarah. "You know, you should have let us host you."

Snorting, Patti glanced over at the younger woman. "Look, hon. I'm not even working full-time anymore. You're in your first trimester, which means you're probably still getting morning sickness, and you've got killer hours. I'll keep cooking for these get-togethers for now. You can bring me a meal when I have the baby. By then your schedule will have slowed down."

Unconvinced, Sarah still tried to answer in an agreeable tone. "Okay. But you know, Matt helps a lot in the kitchen. He likes to cook."

"Then he can help you cook once I deliver the baby." Patti placed the platter of warmed tortillas on the back of the stove and handed the dinner plates to Sarah, who took them to the table. "You never answered my question about your parents." She bent to open the oven.

"They are thrilled. So are Matt's. You are the only other people who know, besides my doctor."

"Oh, how did that go?"

"Pretty well. It was kind of information overload at the first appointment, so we both walked out with our eyes glazed over. Matt bought a pregnancy book and read it cover to cover in less than a week. We went back at the beginning of this week and got to hear the baby's heartbeat. That was pretty amazing."

"It is pretty wonderful, especially the first time." Patti closed the oven door and stood up slowly, placing a hand against her lower back. "I'm impressed Matt read that book. And you have that app on your phone. You guys will be experts before you hit the second trimester."

"Since I'm ten weeks along, that will be pretty soon." Sarah felt a thrill go through her at the thought.

"You're glowing now." Patti smiled over at her.

Sarah placed a hand on her lower abdomen. Matt claimed that she was not showing. He was right, but she knew that her stomach felt different now. Her skinny jeans were out of the question, and it would not be long before she could not wear any of her jeans at all.

"But you'll have to tell people soon. Your brothers, the Agency…"

The thrill dissipated. While her class had not shrunk further, Richard Wong had increased the pressure. It was only a week until their urban assault exercise. They had spent little time driving on the track during the last few weeks. Instead most of their time was spent either practicing for Fort Knox or analyzing their progress. She did not know of one student who was not sick of reviewing videos of their practice exercises and the relentless critiques that accompanied the reviews. Their trainer was determined to win and did not tolerate anyone who was not putting forth effort. Richard Wong would not take the news of her pregnancy well.

"I'm going to have to say something before the end of next week. We have Fort Knox next weekend and I can't fully participate or it might hurt the baby. Richard Wong might be upset, but my family should be happy."

It was true—her brothers and their wives would be thrilled. She had already steeled herself for the teasing that was sure to follow when they broke the news on Sunday. After all, they had gotten pregnant less than a month after they had been married. But when it came down to it, a pregnancy meant a new baby and both of her brothers loved babies.

"From what I hear, it's not easy to make that man happy." Patti set the last of the dishes on the table. "Better call our men in to eat. This food won't stay warm for long."

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Despite her attempt to prepare herself for her brother's teasing, Sarah was more than apprehensive when they parked in front of Jamie's house on Sunday. She waited for Matt to open her door and help her out of the Volvo, using the opportunity to say a quick prayer.

Matt eyed her curiously as they turned to go to the house. "You okay?"

Hesitating, Sarah debated whether to tell her husband about her fear of ridicule. _Why make him nervous, too?_ But Matt knew she was upset about something. She needed to confide in him. "It's dumb."

Grasping her hand to stop her, Matt peered at her. "What's dumb?"

There was not much time to hem and haw out on the front walk. Someone would see them and open the door. This was their first family gathering in months. Sarah had only managed to get Sunday off by monitoring flash traffic in the bullpen for five hours the day before. Two weeks ago had been spring break for the nieces and nephews, so both of her brothers' families had been traveling. Instead of hosting a big gathering, Amanda had baked a meatloaf for Matt and Sarah. They had all watched basketball, but the women had also looked in magazines at nursery furniture.

"I'm nervous that Phillip is going to tease me about getting pregnant so quickly."

"Oh, Phillip can take a flying…"

Sarah cut him off. "I know he teases me all the time anyway, but I don't want him teasing you. It's not your fault I forgot to take the pills."

"But I did have a part in the process." Matt waggled his eyebrows. "It was a very nice weekend, too."

Sarah was about to punch him playfully, but then she realized that her husband was trying to divert her attention from her worries. And it had been a nice weekend. After kissing his cheek, she tugged on his hand, pulling him along toward the house.

Matt waited until everyone had assembled their sandwiches and found seats around the table. It was warm enough on the back patio for the cousins to eat outside, but the adults were inside the house. Amanda always insisted they say grace, and usually everyone deferred to Matt for that role, which he had performed before anyone had filled their plates. When Matt stood again, the noise at the table died down quickly.

Sarah took a deep breath. She was nervous now for Matt, knowing how much he detested speaking in front of a crowd. It might be family, but it was still an audience.

"Looks like Granger has an announcement for us." Phillip grinned, but at Amanda's glare, his smile faded and he regarded Matt with a respectful expression.

"I'm not going to beat around the bush. Lee and Amanda already know our news, but we're expecting a little one in late October. It's kind of a surprise, but we're pretty excited." Matt took his seat again, leaning back in his chair while he waited for the response.

No one spoke at first, then four voices filled the room as Sarah's brothers and sisters-in-law all spoke at once.

"Oh, how wonderful!"

"How are you feeling, Sarah?"

"Wow, this is a surprise. But a great one."

"What were you thinking? Geez, Sarah. You have enough going on."

Lee's deep voice overpowered everyone else's. "Well, I'm happy for them." He glared at Phillip, who had the grace to duck his head after his blunt response to the news.

Matt's arm came around Sarah's shoulders. She had not realized until she felt her husband's embrace that she was trembling.

Amanda spoke quietly, commanding everyone's attention. "I'm proud of Sarah. She's kept up her duties at work, helped out the team for the assault exercise, and done her best to stay healthy for the baby. I can't wait for another grandchild."

Lee's hand came to rest on Amanda's shoulder as she glanced around the room, her gaze finally settling on Sarah.

His discomfort with speaking in front of others seemingly forgotten, Matt's voice resonated in the room as he agreed with Amanda. "I'm proud of Sarah, too. We didn't plan to get pregnant, but we're excited to become parents. Sarah has felt pretty awful at times, but she hasn't complained." Matt hugged her with his arm and kissed her hair.

Jamie was the first sibling to speak. "I remember when you told us you were going to have a baby, Mom. At first I was nervous about the whole thing. Then I couldn't help being excited, especially when Sarah was finally here." He turned to Sarah. "It's kind of crazy to think of you having a baby of your own. I can't wait to meet him—or her."

Swallowing, Sarah had trouble forming words. Her stomach had protested at her nervous reaction, but Matt's nearness and the encouragement from her family had given her a measure of relief. "Thanks, everyone. That's very sweet of you all to say."

She was at the sink, helping Jennifer with the dishwasher when she felt the tap on her shoulder. Sarah turned to find Phillip standing there. He spoke quickly. "I'm sorry for all the stuff that's been going on between us. I know it will probably take a while for you to forgive me for the way I handled the whole Jamal thing. But I want you to know that I'm really happy for you and Matt to become parents."

"Thanks, Phillip. That means a lot."

"But I am worried about you, Sis. You have a lot of pressure at work. Be sure to take it easy, okay?"

"Okay, I will. I appreciate you being concerned about me."

"Love you." He gave her a quick hug.

Stunned by the unusual display of affection, Sarah watched Phillip as he turned and walked back to the family room. In middle school when Jessica was born, Sarah had been too young for Amy to share any details of her pregnancy. She had wondered a few times over the years why they had only had one child, since both he and Amy had come from families with multiple children. But she had never felt it was her place to ask.

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Sarah turned into her last lap on the obstacle course at the track. She could not help feeling a little prideful—she knew she was at the top of her class, especially since they had begun the driving component. Her father and Leatherneck had taught her all the turns, stops, and techniques, and they had their own reputations for being among the best. But she had worked hard to prove herself with her marksmanship, in assault training, in hand-to-hand combat, in the classroom, and now on the track.

She brought the vehicle to an easy stop and made her way to the observation deck instead of joining the other freshman agents. She had already whispered the news to Leatherneck about being pregnant, and now it was time to tell Richard Wong—she rarely had a moment alone with her supervisor.

Leatherneck glanced up from his computer screen as Sarah stepped into the room. "Hey there, Junior. Nice driving today. But that stop was wimpy." He winked at her, knowing why she had not braked hard. Just one more reason why it was important that Sarah break the news to Richard now.

"I've been telling her that for over a week." Richard turned to Sarah. "I want to see you practicing your turns. Just because you mastered them already doesn't give you room to coast through my class, Granger."

Leatherneck raised his eyebrows and bent over his computer. Sarah, along with the rest of the class, had negotiated several difficult turns during the session that had just ended.

Once intimidated by Wong's gruff attitude towards her, Sarah was now irritated by it. She was certain she had done nothing to warrant it. It did not help that his criticism was unwarranted. Still, her father, mother, and Matt had warned her that there would always be personalities like Wong's to contend with in this line of work. Her voice was even as she spoke. "Actually, I need to talk to you about that."

Busy gathering up his computer, phone, and other paraphernalia, Wong did not look at Sarah. "Well, what is it? You know that we need to get back to the Agency. Your husband will be waiting for us." He glanced up and smiled sardonically.

Ignoring his tone, Sarah pressed on. "I'm pregnant, sir. I have already filed paperwork with medical—privately with Dr. Fitzgerald—and he's going to put something in my file so my activities can be limited."

Wong snorted. "That's convenient. Just in time for Fort Knox. Did you and your husband plan this? Is that why he's helping? You both want to make a fool of me?"

Leatherneck sat back and stared at Richard Wong. He looked as surprised and confused as Sarah felt. She almost stuttered her reply. "I don't think either Matt or I would have even considered that, Richard. He is helping you as a kind gesture to both you and the rest of the team." Sarah felt a flush of anger as she warmed to her words. "Honestly, he has been spread very thin at times. I don't think he deserves for you to think that about him."

She felt a hand on her arm. Without her noticing, Leatherneck had come to stand beside her. He spoke in her ear. "Take it easy, Junior. You don't want to do anything to hurt that little one."

Glancing down at her hands, Sarah could see they were trembling. She clasped them and directed her gaze to Wong.

His face was also flushed, but his tone was almost contrite. "I spoke out of turn. But you do realize what a bind this puts us in?"

"I can still participate. Sharpshooting would be safe for the baby and I could still contribute to the team."

Wong looked doubtful, but not as frustrated as he had been a few minutes earlier. "I suppose that would be a good position for you anyway. I was just planning to place you on the advance team, but I doubt Fitzgerald would okay it."

"I also need to ask you to please keep the information about my pregnancy confidential. I would prefer not to tell many people."

Wong raised an eyebrow. "They'll figure it out soon enough. After all, you shared your news with me right in front of our former quartermaster."

"I'm hoping they won't find out until training is over in May." Sarah glanced at Leatherneck, who seemed to be trying to hide his amusement. "Since Leatherneck has been friends with my parents for a long time, I already told him."

After regarding Leatherneck for a moment, Richard turned back to Sarah. "I suppose I knew that already. As for the other recruits, they won't hear about it from me." He went back to the table and began loading his computer in its case. "You should get back to the Agency. We're meeting up in forty-five minutes."

Sarah stepped towards the door and lifted a hand to wave at Leatherneck. "See you tomorrow, Leatherneck."

"See ya, Junior. Take care of that little one." Seated at his desk once again, he smiled at Sarah. From his expression, she sensed he was trying to offer her some silent encouragement.

As Sarah shut the door behind her, she realized that not once had Richard Wong offered his congratulations. _I don't know why I was expecting he would_ , she wondered to herself. It would not be the first time he had forgotten social pleasantries. Still, she felt a little cold inside. If she stayed in D.C., working near Matt and seeing him most weeknights and weekends, she would have to endure having Richard Wong as her supervisor. But the alternative was more likely: since she would report to him for at least a year, he had first say in assignment recommendations. He had already made it clear that he did not want another member of her family in the D.C. office. She would be lucky to be as near as New York.

Sarah had been trying not to dwell on that thought, but now she felt her throat constrict and her eyes burned. She paused near the bottom of the stairs, hoping none of the classmates lingering in the parking lot could see her face. Suddenly the thought of being apart from Matt most of the time was unbearable. _Oh, it must be the pregnancy hormones. Sarah, get a hold of yourself. You can't cry now._ She stood there a moment, trying to control her emotions. And who would take care of their baby? Would she cart a small baby back and forth to New York or some other office? It was unthinkable. Matt would have to play the role of a single father. That was not right, either. There was really no way out of this mess they found themselves in. If she wanted to start any kind of career, she needed to stay in one place and get some experience. And they would need the money. They could not stay in the townhouse forever. At some point they wanted to buy a home with a yard. Purchasing a home in the D.C. area required two incomes, at least for people in their line of work.

The sound of the door opening above her finally spurred Sarah onward. It would not do to have Richard Wong find her there crying.

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Matt pressed the key fob, watching the lights flash on the Charger as the car locked and its alarm was set. He turned to the front door and let himself in, this time disarming an alarm—the one for his home.

His home and Sarah's. But once again, she was not there with him. He had never told her that one of the reasons he had wanted to move to these townhouses in particular were the alarm systems. She had assumed that it made the move from his apartment convenient. And the floor plan had been ideal for their needs. They both enjoyed having the weight machine two floors away from their bedroom. Since she had become pregnant and had stopped lifting weights, Sarah had often slept in while Matt kept up his lifting routine. Other mornings they would work out together, Sarah running on the treadmill while Matt lifted. Then she would shower while Matt took his turn at the treadmill.

Now that room was quiet as Matt passed it to climb the stairs to the darkened living area above. He would not need to make dinner alone—he had brought dinner to Sarah—but he would be making their lunches for the next day alone. Afterwards he imagined he would sit down to watch the news for a little while—alone.

Later that night he would also go to bed alone. That was the hardest part of the day. If Matt were to be honest with himself, he knew that it was not just the company he missed. It was the intimacy, too. Loving his wife did not just bring him physical pleasure; it was a way of connecting with her emotionally that still left him with a sense of awe.

Of course Sarah's schedule would get back to a sort of normalcy in about a month. The worst of her training would be over, and she would be sent out on assignments—mostly surveillance and interviewing—that would allow her to come home most evenings. But soon after that she would be assigned to an office, and it was fairly certain now that it would not be the same office as Matt. She would have to leave D.C. every Sunday evening and they would be lucky if she could return to their home in Arlington on Thursday nights.

The thought left him empty. And what about the baby? It seemed best for an infant to live in one home—certainly here in D.C. with other family nearby would be the best environment for raising a child—but what baby should live without his or her mother? _Enough traveling down this road, Granger. It's time to get busy and get your mind off things._ Matt threw his leather jacket on the chair near the stairs and went to the kitchen to make lunches.

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Sarah could not remember being this tired before. Exhausted at times during the first few weeks of her pregnancy, she had felt a renewal of energy once she had been able to manage the morning sickness and eat more. But this was more than that. She had done far too much that day. After spending time on the track negotiating obstacles at high speeds in an Agency vehicle, her class ran around the arena for a few hours, practicing their assault team techniques in the form of laser tag. Richard Wong allowed Sarah to leave the arena early so she could practice with a rifle on the firing range, but Sarah had been physically exhausted before he had excused her. She was glad Matt had not been there to worry about her. He had been called to a debriefing for his part of the Jamal case—someone in MI6 wanted additional information and Tristan Bates was finalizing his own report.

After they had debriefed in the classroom, Sarah was assigned to the bullpen, monitoring flash traffic from five to eleven. Matt had brought her dinner, but he was not allowed to stay after he had eaten his. There was only one other agent on duty—Bob Fisk, a recent transfer from Atlanta—and Sarah was low man on the totem pole. Grant Hill had tried to warn her about him, but she had not fully comprehended what Hill had been saying until she had experienced it for herself.

Fisk seemed fond of sending underlings on useless errands. Rather than allow Sarah to double check information on the bullpen's computer system, he sent her to Analysis so she could access their computers. Jamie and most of his staff had gone home for the evening, but there was one assistant who had stayed for the evening to work on a project and provide emergency support if needed. However, when Sarah went to the department, there had been a sticky note on the locked door telling her that the assistant who was working late, Kerry, had gone to dinner. Sarah was forced to find a security guard on another floor and ask for him to open the doors. The guard stayed, watching her the entire time she had researched the information Fisk wanted.

Just as Sarah was nearly done with the research, Kerry returned, a surprised expression on her face.

"Hey, Sarah. What's up?" She took off her coat and purse and stowed them in a desk drawer. In her late forties with three nearly grown children, Kerry had gained her experience in research as a fact checker at a publishing firm. Her oldest son's interest in the intelligence field a few years earlier had piqued Kerry's interest in the field as well, eventually bringing her to the Agency.

Sarah offered Jamie's assistant a smile in greeting. "Hi, Kerry. Sorry to barge in here while you were out, but Fisk asked me to do a little research."

Kerry shrugged. "I don't mind at all. But why didn't you just access the information at our terminal in the bullpen? I thought Jamie gave you the code."

"He did, and I wanted to, but…"

"Wait." Kerry held up a hand. "You said Fisk, right?" At Sarah's nod, Kerry frowned. "You don't have to say anything more." Kerry rolled her chair towards Sarah. "Mind if I look over your shoulder?"

Sarah laughed. "You know your clearance is higher than mine, so be my guest. This is mostly unclassified anyway."

"Do you have to work more shifts this week?"

Sarah glanced at Kerry. Something in the older woman's expression gave her pause. "Yes. Why?"

"Well…" Kerry regarded Sarah for a moment. "Let's just say that I think it's probably good you are here doing the research and not sitting in the same room with him all evening." She frowned, as if she was thinking she had said too much.

Not knowing how to respond, Sarah continued with the research. She did not want Fisk to be angry with her for taking too long.

"I probably spoke out of turn, but the guy kind of gives me the creeps. I must be ten years older than him, and he tried to ask me out."

Now Sarah was surprised and a little amused. "Why should you be surprised? I guess he's single now, and you're single."

"Let me repeat. I'm at least ten years old than Fisk."

"Maybe ten years older at most. And you are attractive, Kerry."

"I just feel tired. Thank God I didn't have to work these hours when all the kids were still at home. Jamie hates making us working these extra hours, but he can't do it all."

Knowing that her presence in the department would solve the overtime issue, Sarah did not reply. With Wong making recommendations, there was no chance she could work in Analysis at the D.C. offices.

The last of the research completed, Sarah sent the files to the server so Fisk could access them from his terminal. She rose from her seat and grabbed her purse. "Well, I'd better get back there. I'll watch my back. Thanks for the tip."

Kerry was busy at her own terminal now. "You're welcome. Take it easy, Sarah."

Returning to the bullpen, Sarah found Fisk busy at one of the computers used for operations. "I have the information you needed."

"Oh, thanks," he muttered, busy at the screen, "but since you took so long, I just accessed it on their terminal here."

With difficulty, Sarah hid her frustration. "I offered to do the research here."

"Well, you aren't authorized to use these computers." Fisk still did not look up.

"I'm authorized to use all computers and terminals assigned to Analysis."

"Well, it doesn't hurt to do a little leg work. Gives you newbies a chance to learn the facility, and it toughens you up." When Fisk finally did look up, Sarah recognized the smug expression. He had never intended to wait for her research. It was just a trick the older agent enjoyed playing on the new agents.

Not bothering to correct the man—she had spent more time in the "facility" over the years than he had—she sat down, eager to rest. It was getting late, and it had been a long day already. Just as she had pulled up the flash traffic screen and prepared to run a report, Fisk wheeled his chair over to her and spoke so close behind her that she could smell his breath. He had obviously eaten garlic that day. Her stomach began to protest. It did not help that what had been her loosest pair of pants had grown snug recently. She wondered nervously if they were too tight in the back. Fisk had been staring at her a lot.

"Before you get too involved with that, why don't you get us some snacks from the vending machines in the break room? I'll pay."

Not wanting to turn around and be knee to knee with the other agent, Sarah glanced quickly over her shoulder at him. "I have to run these now and send the updates out." She pressed a button on her keyboard and watched as the .pdfs were generated. "Besides, I'm not hungry."

Fisk's tone seemed conciliatory. "I hope you aren't mad I told Granger to leave. He was distracting you from your work."

Stifling a laugh, Sarah bit back a retort. Meeting Matt in the hallway when he arrived with their dinner, they had chatted for a few minutes before going into the bullpen. After that, the two of them had eaten quietly, side by side, while Sarah kept an eye on the computers. The only words Matt had spoken had been to explain the background on some of the messages listed. Rather than distracting Sarah, Matt had been helpful and instructive. _Fisk is just trying to get me riled up._

Sarah shrugged her shoulders. "I didn't expect him to stay." Glancing up at the clock, Sarah noted the time and finished sending the reports.

"Well, you'll get tired of working together after the honeymoon period wears off. My ex and I fought like cats and dogs at home and could hardly stand to be near each other at work. Thank God she finally transferred to ATF."

Sarah turned her chair around and stood, putting some distance between her and the older agent. Noting the grey hairs at his temples, she surveyed his rumpled appearance. Something in his eyes told her that he was unhappy about his divorce—and lonely. She knew his comments were all bluster—and picking on the younger agents was his way of letting off steam. She despised him for his meanness, but she understood his motivations. Still, she wanted some distance between her and this man who repulsed her. Maybe a walk to the break room would be preferable to listening to Fisk's stories. "What do you want from the vending machines?"

SMKSMKSMKSMKSMK

It was nearly midnight when Sarah dragged herself up the stairs of their townhouse. She had spent the rest of her shift on her feet or running reports, and now she was bone weary. Reaching the top of the stairs of the darkened townhouse, she startled a little as a form, illuminated only by a sliver of light coming from the bathroom, stepped toward her.

It was Matt, of course. "Hey." His sleepy voice whispered in her ear as he pulled her into an embrace. With his strong arms about her, she drew comfort from the warmth of his body and his familiar scent—soap, a little after shave, and—Matt. It was nice to be home.

"I'm sorry the alarm chime woke you." She spoke against his t-shirt.

"I'm glad you're home. I wanted to wake up when you got here."

"You shouldn't have gotten out of bed for me." Reluctantly, Sarah pulled away after kissing Matt on the cheek. "I'll brush my teeth and be right there."

Instead of going back to bed, Matt padded after her and leaned on the doorjamb of the closet, watching as Sarah changed into her pajamas. "You're so tired." As he followed her to the bathroom, he yawned.

"So are you." Using a cotton round, Sarah wiped the makeup from her face. "I'm just sleepy."

He stepped over and placed his hands on her shoulders, bending to kiss her hair. "This isn't just sleepy. You're fatigued. Don't try to get up and work out in the morning." He stepped back to give her room as Sarah reached for her toothbrush. "In fact, I've been wondering if you're exercising too much—you run around the Arena most afternoons on top of running on the treadmill at home before work. Instead of working out in the morning, you could use the extra sleep."

"I told you Wong let me leave the Arena early so I could go to the shooting range. Remember? I'm going to have a rifle at Fort Knox—I don't have to run around."

"But you have one more late shift before we leave."

"I know. But only one more. And then I don't have any for a while." Her voice softened into a reassuring tone. "You don't have to talk me into getting up a little later than usual tomorrow. I'll sleep in." She was quiet as she climbed into bed with Matt. As they settled under the covers, Sarah pressed her body up against Matt's, enjoying his warmth and the comfort she drew from him. If she were to be honest with herself and her husband, she dreaded working those shifts. Fisk made her uncomfortable. He had not really behaved inappropriately with her, seeming to respect that she was married, but he had been teasing and disrespectful. She wondered if his behavior could become more familiar—too familiar—as they continued to work together. Perhaps it would be good if she transferred to New York.

However, this was not the time to bring it up with Matt. She would have to do so as soon as she returned from Fort Knox. Wong had arranged for the entire class to have a few days off, and Matt had already made plans to take it easy.

Matt had been stroking her back idly, but he seemed to be falling asleep once again as his movements slowed and faltered. After a moment, his hand stopped moving altogether and his breathing was slow and even.

The knot in her stomach returned. If Sarah had to work in New York four or five days a week, she could come home on weekends. But if she was on an assignment or in the middle of an operation, she would not be able to leave. Her days off might not match Matt's. They could go for two weeks or more at a time—perhaps as long as a month—without seeing each other.

The knot in her stomach led to a burning in her throat as the tears welled in her eyes. Before she could stop herself, she let out a sob. _Get a hold of yourself, Sarah. You'll wake Matt._

Her husband's hand moved, and he drew her into a closer embrace. Sarah tucked her chin and curled up against him as the tears streamed down her cheeks. His voice was muffled as he spoke sleepily into her hair. "What's wrong?"

At first Sarah could only hug Matt, wrapping her free arm tightly around him and pressing up against his chest. After a minute or two her tears slowed, and she choked out, "I'm sorry I'm so emotional. It's all the pregnancy hormones."

"Maybe so, but tell me anyway." Matt moved away briefly and reached for the tissue box.

"I've been thinking about what it would be like, really like, with me in New York and you here. What would we do with our baby? It makes sense for the baby to live here with you. But I'd never see him or her—or you. The thought is making me miserable." Sarah sobbed out that last word.

Instead of handing her a tissue right away, he dabbed at her face with one. "If I think about it, I get pretty miserable, too. But we don't have too many alternatives."

Sarah took the tissue from Matt. He seemed to be keeping something back from her. She could feel his tension despite the fact that they were not quite touching. "What do you think they are?"

"It's late, Sarah, and you're so tired. Let's just pray and I'll hold you while we go to sleep."

She blew her nose and Matt handed her another tissue. Finally they settled under the covers once again. But Sarah could not relax. "Please tell me what you're thinking," she pleaded.

"I was just…" His words faltered, and he shifted a little in the bed. "I think we should be open to relocating together. I don't want to take you from your parents, but if you go to New York, you'll be sent away from them anyway—and from our baby. I know people have to go through things like that in a marriage sometimes, but I think we've already been through enough hard times. I want to be with you. I want the three of us to be together."

For the first time since she had gotten up that morning, Sarah felt a glimmer of hope. "Maybe we could be near your family. In San Antonio."

Matt seemed to want to stay noncommittal. "That would be a nice alternative, but we would be at least two or three hours away from them. And it's a long shot that office would need both of us."

"But maybe it might work." Sarah yawned. Finally her body was relaxing.

From his tone, it seemed that a weight had been lifted from his shoulders, too, as Matt spoke again. "Let's pray and go to sleep now."

She did not argue, wondering if she would be able to stay awake long enough to hear Matt say, "Amen."


	3. Chapter 3

Written by Scooplet

Concept by Cheryl and Scooplet

Scarecrow and Mrs. King characters are the property of Shoot the Moon Productions and Warner Bros. Television. No copyright infringement intended. Not for commercial use. Sarah Stetson and Matt Granger are my creation, however, so please respect my right to claim ownership of them—I do not authorize permission to use them in stories not authored by me.

I Know He Watches Me, Part Two

Chapter Three

Standing in the observation deck that Thursday, Matt watched as the freshman agents began their last round of laser tag practice. Tomorrow they would all board a flight for Louisville, Kentucky. The time for their competition at Fort Knox was finally here.

He could not help but feel a measure of pride at the progress the team had made over the last few weeks. While he did not agree with Richard Wong's methods for weeding out the recruits who were not a good fit with the Agency, he had been left with some capable agents. Matt turned to Leatherneck. They were alone. For a change, Wong had entered the arena so he might compete with the team.

"So, what do you think?"

"I think you have a good mix there. I had my doubts about Scott. She has a mouth, and she's too snarky. Guess I didn't like the way she treated your gal at first."

Matt only nodded. He still did not like Catherine Scott, but he was uncomfortable making negative remarks about anyone.

"But you've got some great tactical ideas—you must have learned under someone with experience."

"My CO was one of the best. Kept us alive." Matt stared out the window, trying to distract himself from the memories that sometimes accompanied talk of his Afghanistan experience.

"I understand that, son. Trust me." Leatherneck grinned over at Matt before turning to watch the agents once again. His grin faded. "Sarah is pushing herself too hard. It's not good for her or the baby."

"I know it. But Wong is cutting her time down in here, right?"

"Not enough. That gal has slowed down. She was faster. Now she's so tired she can hardly push herself at the end of an exercise."

They both searched the Arena, keeping an eye out for Sarah, who was temporarily out of sight.

Meanwhile, down by the building, Sarah was trying to get away from Catherine Scott and Greg Costas, who were advancing upon her. She was going to be cornered. But no one had tried scooting around the corner of the building. It was a trick Sarah had first used during her preliminary training. Since it was her secret, she did not like to use it unless it was absolutely necessary. Today's practice was just an exercise, but she was caught up in the spirit of the game. Ignoring the fatigue that pulled at her limbs, she dashed for the corner. As she wedged herself behind the building, she could hear Catherine and Greg taunting her.

"What are you thinking, Sarah? Just give it up."

"Come on out, Granger. You know we have you."

Instead of slipping through the gap, Sarah could not budge. Her stomach had filled out a little more in the last week, making her skirts too tight to wear. The day before, between their driver training and the assault team practice, she had made a quick run to the shopping mall and purchased two pairs of pants. She had even had changed into one of the new pairs of pants before taking the evening shift. It had been more comfortable sitting in the bullpen chairs, and when she had walked around, Fisk had not stared at her backside. At least not much.

She dared not force her body through the gap, worried that she might somehow hurt the baby. It was a long shot. She could try to take out Catherine or Greg before they shot her with their laser guns. It was either that or she would have to give herself up. Thankfully no one had seen her try to slip through the gap. It was still her secret for some future training after the baby came. Hiding behind a barrel, she decided to taunt back. "Come and get me, if you think you have me."

Sarah saw Catherine first, so she took aim and fired. The hit alerted Greg to Sarah's hiding place, and he had the upper hand, shooting Sarah from the top of the crate pile as the simulation came to an end. He wasted no time gloating over his victory.

"Finally! I've beat Granger! Now maybe you won't send her out to the range for practice and make us all slave away in here for the rest of the afternoon. Right, Wong?"

Not waiting for an answer, a few of the other freshman agents cheered for Greg and clapped him on the back as they headed for the exit and a debriefing with Wong. Only Grant Hill lingered.

"Why didn't you go behind the building?"

"I considered it, but I decided not to give away my secret yet."

He eyed her speculatively. "Well, it's safe with me. That your only secret?"

Sarah laughed nervously. "Grant, what do you mean?"

"I've seen you run off and puke a couple of times. You—"

Without warning, Matt and Leatherneck appeared. Leatherneck interrupted Grant before he could finish. "Out of here, you two. Sarah, I have that AR-10 ready for you in the range."

Grant followed after Scott and Costas, but Matt took Sarah by the elbow and guided her towards the hallway door. He waited until they were almost out the door before saying anything.

"You are so competitive. I can't believe you let Costas beat you."

"I had no choice."

"Why didn't you use that shortcut?"

"I couldn't fit."

"What do you mean?"

"I was too big to fit through."

"Look. I'm your husband. If anyone besides you is going to know whether you've gained weight, it would be me. You might be eating well now, Sarah, but you're still thin. You've been too busy to be able to gain any weight—at least nothing I can see."

"Well, the baby and I could not both fit through, then."

Matt had started to open the door, but he let it shut again. "What?" He stared at her in wonder, and then reached out to place a hand on her abdomen.

"Honey, you must have felt that bulge."

"Well, maybe," he conceded. "But you still look as slender as always."

Sarah smiled. Her husband was carefully avoiding offending her. "I guess I've gotten big enough—things have changed down there. I don't fit. I told you I had to get new pants."

"I just figured the old ones were uncomfortable."

"Maybe it's because I'm skinny that the pregnancy is more noticeable? I don't know. I'm not really showing yet, but I guess I will be soon. Remember? At the appointment last week, Dr. Elliott said to expect to show soon."

A silly grin spread across Matt's face. He placed his hand on Sarah's abdomen again. "Our little one is growing. I know we heard his—or her—heartbeat last week, but…"

"This makes it seem even more real?" She placed her hand briefly over Matt's before stepping away. "I wish we could talk longer, but I need to skip out of here before they wonder why I'm at the range again." She leaned towards Matt to kiss him and slipped out the door, leaving him to stare after her. He was still grinning when he reached the observation deck.

Leatherneck chuckled when he saw Matt's expression. "Okay, now that you two lovebirds are done talking, can we start the next round?"

Rolling his eyes, Matt perched on the edge of the counter. "Sure. I already gave enough pointers earlier. Let's just let them have some fun."

Leatherneck reached for the mic, but stopped himself. "Wait. I meant to ask you. Why didn't Sarah scoot around the building?"

"Uh, I'm not sure." Matt hated to lie to a friend, but he was not about to explain what had happened to Sarah.

Leatherneck shrugged, but before he picked up the mic, he offered Matt a knowing look. "I may be an old Marine with no kids of my own, but I know how things work. That kid of yours is getting too big for his mama to fit in tight places."

Matt did not reply, but his face reddened slightly. Leatherneck guffawed at the young agent's bashfulness and reached for the mic once again.

SMKSMKSMKSMKSMKSMK

Sarah was idly monitoring flash traffic at the computer on Matt's desk in the bullpen when she saw her parents walk through the doors with Francine and Efraim Beaman. Both of her parents' faces lit up when they saw her, and her father called out a greeting. Francine motioned for her to join them in her office.

"Geez, Sarah. What did you do? Both the old chief and the new one want to talk to you." Bob Fisk laughed at his own joke as he walked over and leaned on Matt's desk.

Manny Gonzales, who was just packing up to leave for the day, glanced their direction. "Fisk, you're pretty slow. Don't you know that Sarah is Chief Stetson's daughter?"

Feigning nonchalance, Fisk watched the four veteran agents as they sat together in Francine's office. "You're right, Gonzales. I guess she does look like Amanda Stetson. With the different last name, I didn't make the connection." He whistled long and low. "Granger scored."

Sarah stood and stepped away from the desk, eager to get her distance from Fisk. "I'm right here. You can make your stupid remarks when I'm out of the room."

She could not help overhearing Gonzales' retort as she walked away. "How did you manage to get transferred here anyway, Fisk, with a mouth like that?"

With the door closed, Lee was quick to greet Sarah. "Hey, Pumpkin. How you feeling?"

Sarah cast an alarmed expression towards her mother. Francine could not know about the pregnancy until Sarah returned from Fort Knox.

Amanda was quick to cover for her husband's blunder. She turned to Francine. "Sarah was fighting some kind of bug."

Francine gestured to a chair. "Take a seat, then. You do look a bit pale, dear."

Amanda smiled to herself. There had been a day when that remark would have been meant to be catty. Now it amused her to watch Francine take a maternal air towards Sarah and her own daughters. She glanced out the office windows. "Where's Matt?"

"Oh, he had to run something to another floor. I was just keeping busy until he was ready to leave."

"Most people would sit in a conference room with a cup of coffee and put their feet up. You're off the clock, Sarah." Francine chuckled. "Trying to impress the chief?"

Sarah blushed in response. "Uh—"

"Oh, leave her alone, hon. She was just staring at a terminal." Efraim Beaman winked at Sarah and sat back in his chair. "Is Fisk watching his mouth around you, Sarah? I've heard a few complaints."

"Um, I guess I've heard worse."

Lee leaned forward, his eyebrows furrowed. Sarah recognized that look. "What exactly did he say to you?"

"Daddy, don't worry about it. He was making me run around for no reason a couple of nights ago."

"Lee, you know the freshman agents get pushed around. Sarah knows that, too." From her vantage point near the office windows, Amanda eyed Fisk surreptitiously.

"He gives me the creeps. I don't like how was leering at you, Sarah." Lee's eyebrows were still furrowed. "I don't understand how he got transferred up here. He has a family in Atlanta."

"Had, Lee." Francine interjected. "And don't get all riled up. He's going through a divorce. Give the guy a break."

"Why send a guy like that to D.C.? Has the policy changed? Shouldn't he be sent to a lower profile office?"

"I'm short on manpower, Lee. I need some veterans."

"At the cost of employee morale? One of your best agents might start looking for a new line of work. And I still think you gave Sarah the shaft."

Sarah fidgeted in her seat, debating whether to find an excuse to leave the office. On the rare occasions that her father and Francine went at it, she always found a way to escape.

Efraim, who was usually quiet at these gatherings, spoke up again, turning to Sarah rather than Lee and Francine. He, too, liked to stay out of their spats. "What does that mean, Sarah? You're done with training in a few weeks. Then you're working for Jamie, right?"

Without waiting for Sarah to reply, Lee, his face red and his jaw twitching, answered him. "All the new recruits have to go to other offices. They want only veterans here in D.C. Wong's recommendation, and it was already approved."

"But what difference does it make? Sarah is going to Analysis. With that Master's, she has unique things to offer. She should stay here in D.C." He glanced out the window at the bullpen. "If transferring in a jerk like Fisk trumps keeping someone like Sarah here, it's time for me to retire."

Francine could not keep the acid out of her own response. "My hands are tied, Efraim. I like Gil well enough, but this isn't even his policy. I think we need a mix of old and new everywhere. Places like New York and San Antonio have had increased activity. They need veterans there, too. Or at least people who have proven their worth already." She reached out to pat Efraim's arm. "And, my dear husband, you are not retiring without me. We have an agreement."

Efraim sighed in frustration. "That's why I took that position as a consultant in operations. To keep you sane, you said."

"Exactly."

"Two more years, tops."

"Tops."

Amanda was eager to leave and get a chance to talk with Sarah alone, but she could not help her curiosity. "What's with two more years?"

"The girls' college will be paid for and we can retire with no guilt."

"What about their weddings?" Lee smirked over at Amanda, proud of his remark.

Francine rolled her eyes. "Oh, please, Stetson. Don't you remember? My mother had that fund set up when they were born."

Seemingly eager to change the subject, Francine turned to Sarah. "Leatherneck told me that you are going to be the sharpshooter this weekend. Wong was impressed with your scores at the range."

"Yes, ma'am."

"But I had heard just last week that you were the fastest person in your class. Shouldn't you be running forays or something? I need to talk to Wong."

Alarmed, Sarah searched for a way to distract Francine from calling Wong. She was already looking at her cell phone.

It was Amanda who rescued her daughter. "Ah, Francine, I just saw the time. Thanks for staying to chat with us." She rose from her seat. "I wish you two could join us for dinner."

"Oh, Efraim and I have plans already. Besides, you're leaving for London on Monday, so you should have a nice visit alone with your family."

Just then Sarah noticed Matt walk into the bullpen. As he approached his desk, he seemed to be looking for Sarah. "Oh, there's Matt. I'll see you later, Francine. Efraim."

"Good luck this weekend, Sarah. Take out plenty of NSA people for me." Efraim winked at her again.

"I'll get with Wong about letting you have more action." Francine called after her.

Sarah missed her mother's comment as she stepped from the room. She hoped that Richard Wong would remember to keep her assigned to sharpshooting.

"…So, how did you manage to catch the boss' daughter, Granger?" Fisk chortled at his own remark.

Matt's eyes narrowed, and he did not respond as he busied himself with tidying his desk and shutting down his computer. He glanced up as Sarah approached. He waited until she was standing near him before speaking low enough for only her to hear. "Hey. Where were you?"

"I guess you didn't see me talking with my parents and the Beamans in Francine's office. We should be going in a minute."

"Hi, Matt." Lee stepped up behind the Grangers and clapped Matt on the shoulder. His gaze went to Bob Fisk. "Fisk! I heard you were dragged up here."

"Yeah, lucky for you we don't have to share an office," Fisk jested.

"Don't you know it." Sarah watched her father as he laughed at Fisk's joke. But the laughter did not reach his eyes. "Well, I'd stay and catch up, but we're trying to get an early dinner. Take it easy." Lee was striding out of the bullpen before Sarah could reach for her purse.

At the restaurant, Amanda chatted with Sarah and Matt while Lee sat brooding.

It was Amanda who interrupted his thoughts. "Penny for your thoughts, Stetson."

He glanced over at Amanda, surprised. "Oh. Well, I was thinking about what Fisk said. I am glad I don't have to share an office with him. But I'm not happy Sarah does. He's trouble."

"Oh, Daddy. He's all bluster. He says a lot of stupid things and makes the new kids run around for no reason, but I'll survive. Besides, he prefers to work evenings and weekends—have the bullpen to himself. I don't have to work alone with him again."

"At least not for about a month, Sarah," Matt added.

She turned to him, surprised. "Are you worried about him, too?"

"There's always jerks like Fisk around. I'm just glad you won't have to work those late shifts again for a while."

Amanda turned to Sarah and placed her hand over her daughter's. "I'm concerned about you, too, Sarah. You seem so tired. Are you eating okay and getting enough rest? Maybe you should have just gone home after work."

"I haven't been feeling too sick the last couple of days, but I worked a lot this week. You know, Mom. Last minute training. It'll be better next week." Sarah gave her mother's hand a reassuring squeeze. "Besides, you two will be in England for a couple of weeks. This is our last chance to get together."

"How is Emily doing?" Matt set down his water glass and turned to Lee, expecting his answer.

But it was Amanda who replied, as Lee looked away briefly. "Not well, I'm afraid. It's good we had already planned the trip. Tristan and Margaret say she just seems to be winding down." Amanda reached for Lee's hand.

"Well, I'm glad you get to go. It will be good to see her without work involved." Sarah grew sober. "And if she really is winding down, it's important that you spend as much time with her as possible. Can you stay longer, if you need to?"

"Sure, we can." Lee offered Sarah a small smile. "AST is working on our recommendations for now and creating policy, so they won't need us until it's time to implement. We have another client who will need us, but that doesn't seem to be happening until late spring at this point." Lee's eyes drifted past Sarah to the approaching waiter, seemingly relieved to have a distraction from talking about Emily Farnsworth's declining health and their upcoming visit to see her. "The food's here."

SMKSMKSMKSMKSMKSMKSMK

Sarah was already in bed for a change when Matt slipped under the covers. As he drew near to her, she placed her hands on his upper arms and their legs tangled together. He kissed her and rested his head on his pillow, watching her face.

Laughing a little, Sarah pointed out, "You left your bedside lamp on."

"I wanted to enjoy having you in bed on time—or kind of early, actually. I think I'll just stare at you for a while."

"Well, it may be a little early for you to go to bed, but I should probably go to sleep." Sarah touched her lips to Matt's. "Besides, it's not like I've worked late every night this week. Just a couple of nights."

"You were doing laundry or something the other nights." His hand came up to smooth her hair. "And we'll have to sleep apart at Fort Knox."

"Well, it is nice cuddling like this." Sarah sighed and closed her eyes.

Matt sighed in return and did not reply. He turned over to reach for the bedside lamp.

"You give up too easily, Mr. Granger."

Without turning off the light, Matt dropped his hand to the bed and turned back towards Sarah, a surprised expression on his face.

She ran a hand over his chest, watching the path her fingers made in the fabric of his t-shirt. "I may be a little clueless sometimes, but I can take a hint, dear husband."

Matt placed his hand over hers, holding it there for a moment. "You are never clueless." He released her hand and moved his down to Sarah's hip, pulling her against him as their lips met.

SMKSMKSMKSMKSMKSMKSMK

At the house on Maplewood Drive, Amanda was placing clothing in an open suitcase when Lee walked into the bedroom.

"Everything's all locked up downstairs…" He noticed that his wife was packing. "What are you doing? We don't leave until Sunday."

Amanda sat back on her heels and regarded her husband. "I know we have a couple of days to pack, but I just thought of some things I wanted to bring—"

"Are you antsy to get there, too, like me?"

"I can tell you're worried about Emily. It will be good to see her again."

"You don't have to dance around the subject, Amanda. Emily is at that age when any visit could be our last." He ran a hand through his hair. "I just don't like waiting to see her this time. She seems to be failing."

Amanda stared down at her hands. "Yeah. I guess I figured that packing would help pass the time and make me feel better."

"Sleeping would also accomplish that. You were tired this evening." Lee stepped over to Amanda and held out his hand to help her up. As she stood, they embraced. "We're going to miss her," he murmured into her hair.

They stood like that for a long moment. Finally, Amanda pulled back and looked up at Lee. "Well, let's not assume the worst. Emily could be with us for several years, yet. I wasn't tired so much as weary. Yes, I am worried about Emily, but I'm also worried about Sarah."

"Oh, don't fret about Fisk. He has a reputation for mouthing off and annoying people, but that's as far as it goes."

"I was thinking of Sarah's health. She's exhausted."

"I saw that. But what can we do about it? If she's going to work at the Agency, she has to get through the next month of training. Matt made it sound like Wong was going to keep her out of risky situations. He knows about the baby."

Sighing, Amanda placed her hands on her husband's chest. "I know all that. It's just hard to see her so worn out. This should be a happy time. I'm also worried about the baby."

Looking down at his wife's hands, Lee was thoughtful. "Well, she seemed pretty chipper after we ate. She's just had a hard week. Matt will be there this weekend—"

"That was a stroke of luck."

"I don't think he volunteered to help merely out of the goodness of his heart. He saw Wong running the entire team ragged and wanted to keep an eye on his wife."

"He really is good to her."

Lee looked up, a mischievous grin on his face. "I just thank my lucky stars that we didn't end with Jeff for a son-in-law. It was pretty close there."

"Oh, please." Amanda rolled her eyes.

"Oh, please what?" Lee bent to kiss Amanda's neck.

She started to protest, but her efforts were half-hearted. "We should get ready for bed."

"I'm all for that," he muttered against her neck, his hands roaming over her.

Amanda started to laugh, but Lee stopped her with a kiss on the lips.

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While Matt buckled his seatbelt, he glanced across the aisle at Ryan Johnson, who had already leaned his head against the window and fallen asleep. The flight from Dulles to Louisville was short, but they had all risen early to be at the airport at the scheduled time. He turned to Rene, who sat beside him. "Patti doing okay? You'll be gone for three days."

"She's fine." Rene grinned at Matt. "You know, she's not much more than seven months' pregnant. She's not going to pop yet. Besides, her sister is hanging with her. She won't be alone. They plan to have loads of girl fun without me around."

"I wish Sarah could do that sort of thing. If she has a weekend off, she spends it with me. It's not like she doesn't have friends. It's just that we've barely been married three months and we never see each other."

Rene stared at Matt thoughtfully for a moment. "You can't let her go to a different office, man. What do you plan to do about it?"

Lowering his voice to avoid anyone overhearing him, Matt responded, "I'm going to put out some feelers in the next couple of weeks. See what offices might be able to accommodate both of us. But keep it to yourself."

Rene frowned, but his tone was matter-of-fact. "I figured I might have to break in a new partner. I can't blame you, but this sucks no matter how you look at it."

Matt tried to appear nonchalant. "Well, we could end up in the San Antonio office. The office itself is a couple or three hours from my parent's place, but we could live a little closer than that. Northern San Antonio can be pretty nice."

"I would have figured you to be more excited at the prospect of moving back to Texas."

"Not if it means dragging my wife away from her family. They're my family, too."

"It does seem like you and the chief are pretty close. Saw you two at lunch once."

Matt waved a hand in the air. "How many agents have spooks for in-laws? They get what I do—what Sarah and I do."

Just then the freshmen agents, having been kept on the tarmac while their suitcases were loaded and seating assigned, boarded the plane. Matt watched for Sarah. The fifth person down the aisle, she glanced at Matt and smiled as she walked past.

Rene chuckled and leaned towards Matt. "For an operative, you can pretty obvious sometimes."

Matt was defensive. "Everyone knows we're married."

"Well, if they didn't, they would know now."

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"Geez, you didn't tell me what a tyrant Wong was." Rene huffed out the words as he jogged alongside Matt and Sarah at the Fort Knox training facility.

Raising his eyebrows, Matt glanced over at his partner.

"Okay, you might have told me once or twice." At Matt's expression, he amended his words. "Or five or six times." Rene huffed again. "Actually, you two are killing me with this pace."

Rising above them, with windows shot out and countless paintball stains adorning their walls were the buildings that represented an urban center. Burnt out cars, trash, and other debris littered the streets, giving the warriors who would fight their mock battles the next day an authentic sensation of an actual war zone.

Sarah stumbled on a scrap of wood and almost fell, her rifle shifting awkwardly on her back.

Lightning fast, Matt's arm shot out and steadied her elbow, keeping her on her feet. He helped her adjust the rifle again. "We should stop. You're pushing yourself too hard." He hissed out the remaining words, intending to make sure that no one besides Rene heard him, "You've got to watch your heart rate. It's not good for you or the baby to push yourself like this."

Starting out once again, Sarah tossed over her shoulder, "We can't stop. It's only a few more blocks."

Matt stared at Sarah for a moment, then with a resigned air, turned to run towards their meeting point. His pace was slower than before, as if he was silently urging Sarah to take the rest of the run at that speed. He sighed with relief when she slowed, too.

Matt knew it was not in Sarah's nature to be at the back of the pack. She had always been the one who ran out in front. When they first met, he had been forced to speed up his natural running pace to keep up with Sarah. It had been good for keeping them both fit, but now it was putting the baby, and possibly Sarah, at risk to run at her usual grueling pace. Although he wanted to be more forceful about urging her to slow down, he knew he could not push the issue. As the team's sniper, Sarah needed to be in position early, so it was good that she was out in front. He glanced over his shoulder. At least two other members of their team were catching up to them. He hoped Sarah would not notice.

They had been on the move off and on for hours. First, they had walked and jogged through the facility, noting the buildings, alleys, and other hiding places that would give them the advantage over the other teams. Then Wong had them run through the urban center two more times, trying out two different battle simulations. This was to be their third and final mock battle. Sarah, always their sniper, was on the move to a nearby building where she was to climb to an upper floor and help the team defend their position.

Concerned for Sarah, Matt had stuck by her side. Wong seemed displeased that he was favoring his wife, but after the grueling afternoon running around the training facility, Matt did not care. He had to admit that Wong's training session had been helpful—it had familiarized the team with the mock city and its buildings, and it had also helped them adjust to their new setting. Nonetheless, Wong had pushed his team too far, in Matt's mind. They would be exhausted for the next day's mock battle competition with NSA.

When Rene made a noise as if he was going to complain again, Matt turned to him. "You could hang with the other team members. We're splitting off soon, anyway."

"I came along on this weekend getaway so I could spend quality time with you and Sarah." Rene gasped out the last few words as they rounded a corner and dashed to the side entrance of the building where Sarah would offer cover for the rest of the team. If all went as planned, the remainder of the team would take possession of the building designated as city hall, which was situated down the block.

Catherine Scott and Eric Nelson rounded the corner. "We've finally caught up with you, Granger," Nelson called. "You're slacking."

Sarah only grinned in reply and ran into the building. Matt and Rene jogged off to their own positions with Scott and Nelson in tow. The day was not yet over, but Matt took comfort in the fact that Sarah would be staying in one place for now.

Matt was even more relieved when Richard Wong checked the team's positions and gave them the all-clear to return to the dormitories.

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When Sarah came out of the women's dormitory, she was surprised to find Matt leaning up against the wall, waiting for her. "Hey, I thought you'd be at dinner by now."

"We can walk over together."

"How did you know I'd be alone?"

"I was coming out of our dormitory when I saw all the women from our team—except you—walk past." His eyes traveled over her. "You okay?"

"Yes, I'm fine. I took a shower. All the other girls want to take their showers after dinner, and I thought I'd let them have the bathroom."

Matt regarded her, his eyes narrowed. "You're not showing. I told you that."

"I know. I just don't want to take any chances. And I can lie down, get some rest."

Taking Sarah's arm, Matt stopped her on the path. "You aren't okay, are you?"

She did not bother to hide her weariness as her shoulders slumped. "It's just been a long day. I should take this chance to rest. We might be up all night tomorrow."

Releasing her arm, Matt continued down the path alongside Sarah. "Well, the food might not be good, but it should give you some more energy. Those protein bars only go so far."

"I only ate one today. I never had a chance to eat after we got started—well, besides lunch."

"You didn't eat much for lunch." Matt bit back any further words. Sarah did not need a lecture right now. "Are you hungry?"

"Yeah. I ate a couple of crackers while I was drying my hair."

Matt chuckled.

"I know it's a strange time to eat, but no one was watching me."

"Well, be sure to eat enough now to keep you going until tomorrow." Matt glanced at Sarah. "I wish we could be together. Are you going to be okay?"

She regarded him warmly, indulgent of his protectiveness. "It means a lot that you always have my crackers for me every morning. But I'll be okay on my own for a couple of days."

"That's not the only thing I was thinking about. I just hate that you can't rest more."

"I'll rest this evening." Sarah placed her hand on Matt's arm. "Please don't worry about me."

Entering the dining hall, they were greeted by several voices calling them to a table across the room. They waved as they grabbed their trays and started down the food line.


	4. Chapter 4

Written by Scooplet

Concept by Cheryl and Scooplet

Scarecrow and Mrs. King characters are the property of Shoot the Moon Productions and Warner Bros. Television. No copyright infringement intended. Not for commercial use. Sarah Stetson and Matt Granger are my creation, however, so please respect my right to claim ownership of them—I do not authorize permission to use them in stories not authored by me.

I Know He Watches Me, Part Two

Chapter Four

Wong's strategy to familiarize his team with the facility had paid off. The Agency freshmen had been able to utilize one of the scenarios their trainer had set up the day before. For the first part of the competition, they would participate in an urban assault exercise that included infiltrating the other team's stronghold, setting booby traps with mock explosives, and taking control of the air strip. Sarah would spend this portion of the exercise acting as the team's sniper.

Her first position was in one of the compound's larger buildings. She climbed the stairs to her position, her rifle secured on her back along with a light pack that held her supply of paintball "ammunition," food, and water. She was tempted to run the last flight, but Matt's concern over the baby had been justified. When she had gone to bed last night, she had been cramping mildly. Sensing she might be under the weather and nervous over the next day's mock battle, the others had left her alone when she had gone to bed at eight-thirty.

This morning Sarah had awakened feeling refreshed, but she did not want to push herself any more than necessary for the rest of the weekend. After climbing the stairs at a steady pace, she made her way to the row of glassless windows that overlooked the intersection. Keeping an eye out for other snipers or NSA team members, she knelt and positioned herself with the AR-10.

After what seemed like an eternity, but was in reality perhaps fifteen minutes, Sarah saw movement in the shadows of a building nearby. She took aim, tracking the unknown figure until she could identify his or her team by the helmet markings. While her team members were supposed to be in place, Sarah did not want to take any chances and embarrass herself by splattering paint all over one of her own team members. She also knew that as soon as she fired a shot, she would make others aware of her position. They were expecting someone to be on the roof, but they would figure out soon enough she was inside the building and try to "take her out."

The figure in the shadows was moving cautiously, but Sarah could seem him clearly now. It was Greg Costas, scouting the area. From where he stood, they could possibly signal one another, but that would give away Sarah's position. He crouched behind an abandoned car for a few moments, and then began making his way back to the Agency team's stronghold.

But he did not get far. Just after he crossed the street to the corner opposite Sarah, paint spattered the wall near Greg. He dashed for cover, narrowly avoiding paintball spatter on another abandoned car and on the street near his feet. He would be pinned down indefinitely, making their team at the stronghold that much weaker if Sarah did not take out the gunman shooting at Greg. Noting the pattern of the paintball spatters, she was relieved to see that they did not come from her building. Not only would she have been at risk of running into the sniper inside the building, but she would have had trouble taking the shooter out of the scenario.

Instead, the gunman was in a building across from Sarah, but either on the roof or in a window facing the street that ran perpendicular to the one she faced. Remembering that building had access from the rear, it was easy to understand how they had missed seeing the shooter.

Using her scope, Sarah checked the roof of the building. With the sniper crouched low and out of sight, just a few hairs blowing in the breeze might show up in her scope. She kept scanning for movement or any other signs of life in the building.

It was on the third floor of the four-story building that Sarah saw him or her. With no glass in the building's windows, Sarah could see several feet inside—enough to pick up a figure who was lit up by the light coming in the window where they were positioned. They were moving now, hoping to gain a better angle and take out Greg. But Sarah already had an angle on them. Yes, she would be giving away her position, but she was doing the job assigned to her.

Carefully she centered the shooter in her scope. He was moving, but not enough to stay out of her range of vision. Pulling the trigger, she gritted her teeth, waiting for the paint splatter to show up on her target. While it was only paint, the guns still seemed too real to her. She hoped she would never have to shoot anyone in earnest with a real firearm.

A faint cry of frustration from the building opposite and a splotch of paint on the shooter's dark assault uniform told Sarah she had been successful. Now that the other team knew that the Agency had a sniper in position, she could speak safely into her mic. "Costas, it's Sparrow. I took care of the shooter for you."

Greg still did not look her way, instead giving a quick thumbs up as he replied, "Saw that. Thanks for getting my back." He sprinted down the street, not waiting for the sniper's backup to come looking for him.

Soon there were two members of the other team sneaking along the street, looking for signs of Sarah. The sniper was out of the contest, but he was allowed to contact the others by radio and let them know he had been hit.

Sarah watched for a moment, then took aim and fired, hitting one of the gunmen on the street. Knowing the other opposing team's member, a woman, would be able to guess her location, she stayed low. But in order to take the shot, she would have to expose herself. She waited until she was certain she could hit the other woman, but before she could pull the trigger, a paintball splattered the wall of the building near Sarah, sending tiny drops of paint onto her rifle. She would have to move. Quickly taking aim, Sarah fired at the woman, grinning when she saw the large orange splash on her jacket.

But Sarah had not been hit. She was still in the game as long as she could make it out of her hiding place and get to another before the other team found her. Grabbing her pack and slinging her rifle over her back, Sarah ran in a crouch to a window on another floor of the building.

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"You're wife has three hits, and we've barely started, Granger." Matt could hear the grin in Wong's voice as he gloated over his trainee. While he had to keep his communications to Sarah at a minimum—she was on radio silence to avoid giving away her position—he could talk to the rest of the team. Positioned in the observation tower, Wong had access to the closed circuit cameras and other equipment that allowed him to monitor the exercise.

"Call him Eagle, Wong." Rene's voice was unmistakable over the frequency they shared.

"I'm already calling his wife Sparrow. We don't have to use code names when we're not undercover."

Matt could envision Rene rolling his eyes at Wong's pedantic behavior.

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Things had grown quiet along the street Sarah now watched. Wong might be sending her to another building now that the NSA team was on to her. The members who had been shot were not supposed to give away her location, but that rule was rarely honored.

"Sparrow. Go to Echo Charlie."

As expected, Sarah was on the move. She tried to remember why Richard Wong and Leatherneck had thought being the sniper would be less work. It was less stressful perhaps, and once she was safely hidden, she could rest after a fashion until someone from the other team came along. But at the moment, she felt the tension rise as she descended the stairs of her building. After checking the surrounding area twice on the way down, she climbed out a basement window at the back of the building and ran toward the location they had codenamed Echo Charlie.

The door of the small townhouse shut silently as Sarah paused to catch her breath. She had seen no one as she had dashed from the cover of dumpsters and abandoned cars to her new location. Now she would need to make certain the building was not already occupied. Using silent feet, she carefully scanned the rooms of the building, using a mirror and pointing her rifle, poised on her shoulder and ready to fire at any occupants.

Both of the floors were clear, so Sarah settled into her new position, taking advantage of the opportunity to rest. The cramps from the day before had not come back, and she was anxious to make sure they did not.

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This was the part of simulations that Matt despised. It was too much like the actual street battles he had experienced from time to time during his stint in Afghanistan. The constant rat-a-tat-tat of automatic weapons firing paintballs, or the occasional boom of a large caliber weapon continued for hours as the team would defend their stronghold. Morning had long since passed, and he had managed to stuff a half a sandwich in his mouth during a lull. It was now late afternoon and his stomach was as hollow as an empty barrel. As an instructor, he was expected to keep up a barrage of fire just like the other team members. Rene had offered to switch places with him partway through the exercise, knowing how tense Matt became in these situations.

But Rene was nowhere in sight, obviously hunkered down somewhere and unable to make it back to the stronghold. Matt was glad that Sarah had not been on the assault team, and he was even more grateful that she had not been subjected to all of the noise at the stronghold. Earplugs only helped so much, and he wondered how adversely loud noises might affect their baby in the first trimester. Besides that, she could rest while she watched from her hiding places, eating the food she had brought with her that day.

His stomach growled, reminding Matt how hungry he was. Reaching into his pack, he pulled out the other half of his sandwich. It was ham on white bread. Not as healthy as he and Sarah normally ate, but he did not care. He was just swallowing the last bite when Rene burst into the room.

"Sorry I'm late. It was hell getting over here."

Matt regarded his partner a moment. A fine spray of orange paint covered his helmet and shoulder. "Looks like you almost got your chance to kick up your heels."

"Geez, when you put it like that, you make me feel like a girl for squealing. That thing practically hit me. It felt real." Rene smirked. "I was taking things so seriously, I didn't think about getting a break from the action."

Remembering how Rene had been hit by bullets—his life saved only by the bullet proof vest he had been wearing—Matt had trouble laughing with him. Rene let everything roll off of his back. While he had been somewhat unnerved by his brush with death, he had not let it bother him for long. Matt supposed he was the same way when his own life was endangered, but he knew he did not handle it well when his partner or Sarah were at risk.

Gathering the two rifles Matt had brought with him for the exercise, he prepared to leave the stronghold. He loaded his pack with ammunition and grabbed a few energy bars and water bottles from the box by the door.

"Take it easy, bro. There are plenty of shadows out there now, but the other team has another sniper."

"Thanks for the tip. At least it's only for another hour. Then we can have some fun taking the airstrip." Matt flashed a quick smile at Rene and headed out the door. It might be more stressful running for cover, but it was better than sitting tight at the stronghold. And knowing Sarah's latest hiding place was on the way to the other team's stronghold, he was pleased he could check on her along the way.

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Settling into her fifth position of the day, this time in a second story classroom of an elementary school, Sarah took a deep breath. She thought of the uneaten food in her pack. The two snack bars she had managed to consume at noon were just a memory, but for some reason she had no appetite. Still, it would be smart to eat a little. Pulling out the sandwich, she tugged at the wrapper and took a bite of just the bread. When her stomach did not protest, she took another bite and kept an eye on the street below her as well as on the distant bridge. She did not expect anyone to try to cross it, but she would make sure they did not. Distant gunfire coming from two directions told her that the strongholds had not fallen.

She was still nibbling at her sandwich when she heard a noise in the empty building. It sounded like it came from the entrance they had used in their practice drills. Silently, she set the half-eaten sandwich in her pack and aimed her rifle at the open door of the classroom. Her body tensed as she waited, listening for another sound, but the distant gunfire had muffled any progress the intruder might be making. As she waited, her whole body alert, she felt a twinge in her lower abdomen.

 _It's just nerves, Sarah. This is just a simulation. Don't let this get to you._ After a moment, the twinge went away and she took a deep breath. If she could not hear anything over the sound of the gunfire, there was no intruder. Or, they were in the same boat she was and could not hear her either.

Then she saw his shadow on the wall across from her room. It had to be a man. She had glimpsed the women on the NSA team and none were over six feet tall—or had a large build.

"Don't shoot!" The man hissed. "It's me." Matt's face peeked into the room before he appeared in the doorway.

Sarah breathed a sigh of relief. "Hi. You really had me thinking I'd been discovered." The tight feeling in her abdomen eased and the rest of her body relaxed.

"Sorry." His voice was still quiet, but Matt closed the distance between them so he could speak in a soft whisper. "But if I used the radio, it might draw too much attention to you—they might be able to pinpoint your location."

"True."

"I used my mirror to make sure you were really still in position and not someone from NSA." He smiled as he lowered his pack.

"Smart thinking." She smiled back.

"You know, you looked pretty hot with that rifle aimed at the door, ready to shoot whoever dared come in here."

Rolling her eyes, she waved a hand in the air. "Oh, stop."

He knelt beside her and gave her a kiss. "You okay?" His eyes narrowed as he looked her over. Sarah knew he would see the fatigue on her face.

"Yeah. I'm okay. You know, they probably got you on camera sneaking in here."

"I'm not sure I care. I'll say I brought you a water bottle and some more ammo." He reached into his pack and handed her one of the bottles he had taken, along with some ammunition. "Have enough to eat?" He proffered a snack bar.

"I guess I should take one." Sarah placed it in her pack and pulled out her sandwich so she could nibble on it.

"Well, this exercise will be over soon. You're sniping at the airstrip. It's dark enough."

"You aren't supposed to tell me what we're doing."

"Well, I didn't give any specifics. At least the explosives training is over."

At Matt's grim expression, Sarah could see that Matt wished she had not been a part of that exercise. While the explosives themselves were developed in Hollywood and considered safe, the noise had been bothersome. And Sarah knew that Matt, with his background in handling detonators, did not fully trust even mock explosives.

While Sarah had avoided most of the action, Wong had sent her to another building just as the exercise facilitators had begun setting off the explosives. It was meant to simulate a bombing raid, but Sarah had been too frightened to care.

"I'm sorry you had to go through that. It's unlikely you'd ever see anything like that simulated raid. Wong should have let you hole up until it was over."

Sarah shrugged. "Well, I learned something about keeping my cool under fire. Literally. There were flames in one of the buildings I had to pass."

Frowning, Matt did not say anything. A brief vision of running with Sarah in the greenbelt near their townhouse came to mind. The fatigue was causing him to dream of more pleasant circumstances. Knowing that would be a costly distraction, he quickly quashed it. This training would be over late tonight. Once they had debriefed the next day and flown home, their two days off would allow them to run in the greenbelt together—after they had slept for a long time. For now, he needed to get to the assault team before the exercise ended.

Matt moved to get up, but Sarah stopped him with a hand on his arm. She motioned for him to lay flat and raised her rifle to the window. Taking careful aim, she fired.

At the sound of frustration in the parking lot below, Matt knew Sarah had taken out yet another member of the NSA team. He smiled to himself and waited while she aimed the AR-10 again. She fired two shots this time as her rifle followed someone who must have been running down the street. There was no sound, but Sarah's grin of triumph told him that she had been successful once again.

"Well, he took that pretty well. After I hit him, he actually gave me a thumbs up."

"It must be one of the instructors. The guy probably was looking forward to a break before the airstrip exercise."

"I hope so. What's the count so far?"

"I don't know. Wong won't say. Let's get ready to move." Sarah readied her rifle and her pack while they waited for Wong's instructions to come over the radio. They did not have wait more than a minute.

"Sparrow. Proceed to November Papa."

"We're running out of sniper positions, so they have me going to the woods near the airstrip. I guess I'm on my own." She kissed Matt quickly and led the way to the first floor of the building, where he followed her out of a window. He watched as Sarah let go of the sill and dropped to a dumpster a few feet below her. After scrambling to the ground, she took off running through the culvert. It was not a quiet exit, but the sound of gunfire not too far off muffled the noise of her feet hitting the dumpster.

Matt jumped quickly down and headed towards the gunfire. As he crept along the wall leading towards his stronghold, he could not help grinning to himself. The inexperienced young girl he had met ten months earlier was now a trained and capable woman. She might be happier in Analysis, but she was handling field operations just fine.

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"I still don't get why we didn't win. We had Granger—I mean Sparrow—taking out people all over the place." Costas's brow furrowed in frustration.

"More of our people were taken out than theirs. They went by ratios. They had a bigger team, but our hits were too high for the size of our team. Still, we had one of the higher scores they had seen."

Matt watched Sarah, who could hardly keep her eyes open. One hand rested on her waist. He was imagining that it was an unconscious movement—she was instinctively protecting their baby—until she grimaced, obviously in pain. He started and then quickly schooled his features. This was not the time or place to call attention to his wife's condition. But now he was worried. They had run scenarios until well past two o'clock in the morning. It had been obviously been too much for Sarah. He glanced at Rene.

Rene's eyes were on Wong, his brow furrowing at the freshmen training coordinator's words. "…so we won't be getting those days off after all. I need to have you at the Agency tomorrow morning at nine a.m. That will give you an extra hour or more to sleep in."

Sarah's eyes flew open as the room erupted in cries of protest.

"I was kidding. You may not have beat the NSA team, but you got one of the Agency's best scores. Well done. I'll see you Wednesday at nine a.m. We'll meet in the classroom and discuss the next stage of your training. It will be more directed—helping each agent in their weak areas and giving them more time in the field with experienced operatives."

Matt could not hide his expression of disgust. Wong's supposed joke had not gone over well. The team was beyond tired and Wong was already known to be a tyrant. They had taken him seriously and it had demoralized the team so much that they failed to hear his words about receiving a high score. Now they were whispering about "weak areas."

He wondered what Wong would consider Sarah's weak points to be. At least they would not be hand-to-hand combat. Because of her pregnancy, she would have a medical exemption excluding her from further training. Sarah planned to tell Francine early on Wednesday—after that it would become public knowledge as word spread around the Agency.

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Rain slashed the windows of Tristan Bates' Ford, the early spring green of the English countryside obscured in a blur of water. Yellow flowers dotting the grass near the roadway—Lee knew from Amanda that they were daffodils—waved in the wind from the spring storm.

Feeling the touch of Amanda's fingers on his hand, Lee clasped it and turned to her, not failing to miss the look of concern in her eyes.

Margaret was speaking from the front seat. "It was good of you to plan this trip. Of course we both wish it could have been under happier circumstances."

Tristan glanced back at the Stetsons, and then turned to the road once again. "I should warn you: you'll find Lady Farnsworth has declined considerably."

Lee had already expected as much. The last two times he had tried to call, Emily had been unable to talk on the phone. The Bates had been doing their best to keep Lee up-to-date on her condition. Emily had no close relatives—the Bates and the Stetsons were the only family she really had.

The drive from Heathrow seemed longer than usual, but when he glanced at his watch, Lee saw that it been the usual sixty-minute trip.

Once they had shed their raincoats, Tristan disappeared and Margaret led the way to Emily's suite. Knocking softly on the door, she was greeted by a nurse.

"Oh, Mrs. Bates. I just finished helping Lady Farnsworth freshen up for her guests." The middle-aged woman smiled at the Stetsons. "She's been talking about your visit for days."

The nurse slipped past Lee and Amanda, following Margaret down the hall.

"Lee, Amanda. How good to see you," came the feeble voice in the hospital bed across the room. Emily's frame, which had grown thin and frail over the years, seemed even smaller in the bed. Her white hair stood out against the pale blue sheets.

As he and Amanda made their way to the bedside, he realized that Emily had not bothered with her British accent. A trembling hand reached up to pat Lee's arm as he leaned over to kiss Emily on the cheek. "How did you like Charlotte, my nurse? Such a sweet girl." Her arm dropped to the bed.

"Oh, Emily. I didn't even introduce myself." Amanda leaned down to kiss Emily's cheek, too.

"My dear, you can introduce yourself later. She won't be offended. A heart of gold and a disposition of steel, that girl. She won't put up with any nonsense from anyone, but she's as kind as can be." Emily's voice faded off, as if this brief interchange was wearing her out.

"How are you feeling, Emily?" Amanda took her dear friend's hand.

"I'm really very comfortable. I just can't seem to get the energy to get out of this bed. It's quite frustrating. I hope you won't mind taking your tea in here with me."

"We'll visit as often as you like, Emily." Amanda patted Emily's hand with her free one.

Emily turned to Lee, watching him as he looked awkwardly around the room. "I'm glad you came, Lee. We can talk."

"I'm afraid we're wearing you out."

"There are things I want to talk to you about." Emily sighed. "But I am afraid we all might need a rest. You've had a long day and I just can't visit as long as I'd like to."

Lee felt a presence behind him and realized that Charlotte had returned. He turned back to Emily. "I'm glad I came, too, Emily. We'll talk some more in the morning."

"See you then, dears."

Margaret was waiting outside the door. She gestured towards the back of the house and they walked together for a minute or two before she spoke. "The doctor says it's her heart. He's given her new medication, but there has been no change. He keeps saying it takes time, but Emily is failing so quickly."

Amanda sucked in her breath. It was Dotty all over again. Lee brought his arm around Amanda's waist and drew her to his side as they walked.

"It's been a long day, and I'm sure this all quite a shock to you. I arranged to have dinner brought to your sitting room. Tristan and I have some things to talk with you about in the morning. For now, your bags have been brought to your room and your dinner should be along shortly."

Margaret paused outside the suite that had always been reserved for the Stetsons. There were a few mementos of their work together that Emily kept in the room and the housekeeper always had Amanda's favorite soap on hand. While most of the other bedrooms or suites were not locked, the door to their suite was—and now Margaret was handing Amanda the key.

"Sleep well," she said, and went on her way.

Before they could close the door, one of the staff appeared with their dinner cart. He set the table in the sitting room, lit two candles, poured them each a glass of wine, and after leaving the bottle with them, parked the cart outside the room. "Please leave everything and we will retrieve it later."

Amanda followed the man to the door. "Thank you."

"It is my pleasure, madam."

Once they were inside the rooms with the outer door closed, Lee began pacing.

Amanda paused in her path to the table and watched her husband. "I expected you to be a bit sober, down, even upset. Not tense and uneasy."

"I am uneasy, Amanda. Why do the Bates and Emily keep saying we need to talk?"

"That often happens when someone is…"

"…dying. Please don't tiptoe around me. I need to be able to be real with you."

"I wasn't meaning to treat you with kid gloves, Lee. I just don't want to add to your pain." She reached in her pocket for a tissue. "And I guess it's hard to say the words for me. It's so like losing Mother. Emily was not just a cover aunt—she really has been like an aunt to me."

"Me, too." Lee stepped over to Amanda and took her in his arms. "I'm sorry. I know you're grieving, too. This does bring back memories." He kissed her forehead.

"I suppose Emily just wants to say her goodbyes. And the Bates may want to fill you in on Emily's condition."

Lee pulled away and began pacing again. "I think it's more than that. This may be about my parents or something. There are still mysteries surrounding their relationship with Emily."

"What more could she tell you? She explained how they met and became friends."

"Who knows? I guess I'm just on edge. This kind of thing gets to me."

"I know, sweetheart." Amanda sat down at the table and watched Lee pace. "It's been a long day. We should eat our dinner and go to bed."

Lee stopped pacing and stared at his wife thoughtfully. "It's still early yet. You just want to take my mind off of things."

"By eating dinner?"

"You know what I mean." Joining her at the table, he picked up her hand and kissed it. "I love you, Amanda."

"I love you, too, Lee." Amanda placed her free hand on Lee's cheek and looked into his eyes for a moment. An unspoken conversation passed between them. Then she withdrew her hands and peeked under the plate covers. "This looks good. Let's eat first."

Chuckling, Lee took his napkin and placed it in his lap. "Sure. First things first. But only because I heard your stomach growling."


	5. Chapter 5

Written by Scooplet

Concept by Cheryl and Scooplet

Scarecrow and Mrs. King characters are the property of Shoot the Moon Productions and Warner Bros. Television. No copyright infringement intended. Not for commercial use. Sarah Stetson and Matt Granger are my creation, however, so please respect my right to claim ownership of them—I do not authorize permission to use them in stories not authored by me.

I Know He Watches Me, Part Two

Chapter Five

Ignoring Richard Wong's complaints, Matt had saved the seat next to him on the way back to Dulles, making sure Sarah had a chance to sleep in peace. The flight was short, but he knew she was exhausted and he had been right about her being in pain. Even Rene had noticed. The concerned look in his eyes only served to worry Matt further. In fact, when they had reached the townhouse, Matt had insisted on carrying Sarah up the two flights of stairs, despite her feeble protests.

Once upstairs, he had helped her into her pajamas and put her to bed, threatening to call the doctor if her pain persisted.

Sarah was reluctant to go to bed in the middle of the afternoon. "Really, Matt. I'll be okay. It's probably just the food."

"That's not what this is, Sarah." He knew his voice sounded tired.

By the expression on her face, he knew that she was fully aware of what might be wrong.  
Realizing that what Sarah needed was peace and rest, he did not press her further, but made a silent promise to himself that he would call the doctor in the middle of the night, if needed, if the pain did not go away or became worse.

As he expected, Sarah fell asleep shortly after her head hit the pillow. Matt finished unpacking in the walk-in closet and took the dirty laundry downstairs and started a load of wash. It made him feel better to know that Sarah was sleeping in their bed, but he was unable to shake the feelings of worry—anxiety, really—that he felt. He decided to call his parents.

"Matt!" His mother sounded breathless as she answered the house phone. He realized that they might have just walked in the door. Often they went out to lunch after church, and there was a one-hour time difference. "I wasn't expecting to hear from you today. I thought you and Sarah were just getting back from Kentucky."

"We did—got home about an hour ago."

"How was it? I should probably get your dad and let you tell him all about it."

"It went pretty well, Mom. I'm so proud of Sarah. But please don't get Dad just yet. I need to ask you something."

"Oh." There was a brief pause, as if Sharon was already concerned. "Go ahead."

He could hear the sound of a chair being pulled out from a table. His mother was probably in their spacious kitchen. The windows looked out across the Texas Hill Country and the wide open sky that seemed to go on forever. Bluebonnets would be blooming at the roadside, and the weather was often sunny and breezy at this time of year. A strange yearning for home came over Matt. If only he could just take Sarah there and escape for a little while. Life was always so stressful.

"Matt, honey. You okay?"

His mom was a good listener. He had often been reticent as a teenager and even as an adult, but she would sit with him quietly, letting him open up in his own timing. Now he sensed she was doing it again. After all, he had called her and he was not doing much talking. But the words did not seem to want to come out. He took a breath.

"I'm fine. I'm just worried about Sarah and the baby. She isn't feeling well. I think this whole training thing was way too much for her. She was on her feet for most of an afternoon, then about twenty hours the next day—and there was a lot of running and other physical stuff."

"Oh. Did they do—what is it called? When they fight each other with kicking, punching—I know you told me what it was called and that you did some training for Sarah's class."

Frowning, Matt guessed, "You mean hand-to-hand combat? I learned that for the Army, and I did give some instruction in it and self-defense for Sarah's training class. But no, we didn't use it this weekend. She and the baby stayed away from all the action, so to speak, but she had to do all that running."

"That's right. I was so impressed they made you an instructor already." Sharon was quiet a moment. "So, a lot of physical activity, but nothing too rough. Is she cramping?"

"Yeah, Mom. I'm really worried." Matt ran a hand over his face. Somehow talking with his mom brought the emotions he had suppressed in front of Sarah to the surface. "I didn't let her know that, though."

"It's good if she stays calm. Sometimes the cramps will go away and everything will be okay. Is there any blood?"

"Sarah said there wasn't any."

"Okay—but you know I'm not an obstetrics nurse. Why don't you call the doctor tomorrow and make an appointment?"

"So, you think I should? She doesn't have an appointment for over a week."

"It would be good to call the nurse and see. Make sure Sarah lies down for the rest of the day—don't let her do much of anything. The cramping might stop on its own. If that's the case, the doctor may just have Sarah monitor her symptoms and come in at her next appointment—as long as nothing else happens."

"Shouldn't the doctor see her?"

"Sweetie, there isn't much the doctor can do—you can do a lot more at home by bringing Sarah plenty to drink and making sure she rests. She might not want to eat much, but that's okay."

"She's not really nauseous. But she's not eating much, either."

"That's okay. She's tired and might not feel like doing anything for a couple of days. Do you have to work tomorrow?"

"No. We have a couple of days off."

"Good. Sarah can rest. I'll be praying she's feeling much better before tomorrow. Call me back if you have any more questions."

"I guess I shouldn't bother Amanda and Lee. They have enough to worry about."

"They're in England with Lady Farnsworth, right? I'm so sorry to hear she isn't doing well."

"It's her heart. She probably doesn't have much longer."

"Please tell Sarah I'm sorry about Lady Farnsworth. I'll pray for her, too. And I'll give y'all a call tomorrow." There was a muffled noise on Sharon's end. "Your father really wants to talk with you. Do you have time?"

"Sure."

David Granger had wanted to know all about the training—he was fascinated with this element of Matt's work. The two men did not always get along well, so Matt was glad for his father's interest. After thirty minutes, they ended the call and Matt went to make an easy dinner for Sarah and himself.

Sarah had taken some herbal tea, part of a sandwich, and a few apple slices, but there had still been food left on her plate. She stayed in bed and read for a little while, even reading a chapter of the Bible with Matt and praying, but by seven o'clock she had fallen asleep once again.

At nine o'clock, Matt joined her in bed when he, too, could no longer keep his eyes open. But he was wide awake again at midnight. He sat up in bed and watched Sarah for a while. She had been so tired that she had hardly moved. However, he could see that she seemed to be sleeping comfortably. She was no longer curled up in a ball because of the cramping. Now she had stretched out her legs. Deciding that the crisis had passed, Matt lay down beside Sarah once again and allowed himself to fall asleep.

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Margaret and Tristan Bates were already seated in the breakfast room when the Stetsons appeared for the morning meal.

"Good morning, everyone!" Amanda nodded at the Bates and the maid who was serving.

Even after twenty-five years of marriage, Lee still wondered at his wife's ability to be so chipper in the morning. After a brief greeting to the Bates, Lee went straight to the coffee pot.

But the maid politely intervened and offered to pour the cup for Lee. He sat down beside Amanda at the table and gazed at the muffin that sat on his plate.

"I thought you might like to eat a little something, sweetheart."

Realizing that there was an audience, Lee bit back the grumpy remark that was forming in his mind and looked up at his wife. "Thanks, Amanda." He turned to the Bates. "Sorry. I'm still getting used to the jet lag."

"No worries, Stetson. I've taken to drinking coffee in the mornings myself. But I had a head start today." Tristan smirked at Lee conspiratorially.

Lee sipped his cup in silence as Amanda made small talk with the Bates. He let his mind wander. The day had dawned sunny and bright—much earlier than he was used to getting up, at least for his own time zone. He would have to ignore his jet lag and try to be cordial. He knew he should offer to take his wife for a walk in the gardens after their talk with Emily—in fact, that was an excellent idea. But before he could get a chance to say something, Amanda had patted his leg to get his attention. Margaret was speaking.

"When I saw Emily early this morning, she was quite anxious that you speak with her as soon as you were done with breakfast."

Glancing at his wife's plate, Lee could see she had finished her meal of eggs, toast, and fruit. He had managed to eat most of his muffin.

"I can send coffee and tea over for you, if you'd like to go now."

Lee sensed that Margaret's obvious prodding was likely due to the fact that Emily was anxious. He rose from his seat and held out a hand to Amanda. "We'll be on our way, then."

Once in the hall by themselves, Amanda whispered to Lee, "I don't think she meant to be pushy. You'll remember when Mother was ill. She only had the energy to visit for short periods of time each day. Obviously this is the best time of day to talk with Emily."

"Makes sense."

"Are you okay, Lee?" Amanda regarded her husband curiously.

He shrugged. "I'm fine. Why?"

"You've been somewhere else this morning."

"I know where I was last night after dinner." He smirked at her, his dimples quite evident despite the shadows in the hallway.

"Oh, you know what I mean." She made a move to swipe at his arm, but he took her hand, kissed it, and did not let go. She glanced down at their hands. She thought about last night, too. Unlike his usual confident self, Lee had been almost needy. And the way he had held her after they had made love. He was rattled by Emily's condition, but he would not admit it.

When they arrived at Emily's doorway and Charlotte beckoned them to come in, Lee paused, but only momentarily. Watching him carefully, Amanda did not miss the brief hesitation. She held on tightly to his hand as they approached the bed.

Lee and Amanda greeted Emily at almost the same time, but he let Amanda take over.

"Good morning, Emily. How are you feeling?" Amanda did her best to be cheerful. She knew that was what Emily would want.

"I'm not bad, my dear. Thank you." She held out a hand to Amanda, and then to Lee. "I hope you are comfortable and have everything you need. It's just not possible for me to check on things anymore."

"We're fine, Emily. Things are just as nice as they always have been," Amanda reassured her.

"Good, because I want you to feel just as at home here when you come to visit after I'm gone as you have when I've been here."

"Oh, now, Emily." Lee's voice was rough. "That won't be for a while yet."

"It's alright, Lee. We all have to go sometime. I'm ready. No point in sugarcoating things."

Lee did not respond right away. Seeing that he was digesting this bit of information, Amanda was silent also.

Finally, he cleared his throat. "It's just that…" He tugged at his collar. "I'm not ready for you to go, Emily."

"Well, I must say I'm not eager to go. Just ready if it's time. The doctor keeps telling me I could surprise everyone and rally."

"We're all planning for you to rally, Emily." Lee sat down in the chair near her bedside. "You know, Sarah is going to have a baby." He nodded in response to Emily's beaming smile. "Imagine that! I'm going to be a grandpa again."

"Congratulations! She and Matt did not waste any time, I see."

"It was a bit of a surprise." Amanda smiled.

"And I seem to recall you sharing that you also were a bit surprised when you discovered that Sarah was on the way. The best things in life are often surprises. And they'll be wonderful parents. Her Matthew is just as fine a man as the Matthew I knew and called a friend many years ago." She coughed softly. Amanda moved to help her, but Emily weakly waved her away as she caught her breath.

"Speaking of surprises, I want to spare you the surprise of finding out my last wishes from my attorneys."

"Emily, we don't have to talk about that now." Lee stood up and began pacing, but he had to stop and strain his ears a little to hear Emily's next words.

"I can see that I've made you uneasy, Lee, but I think you'll like what I'm going to say."

Amanda held out the water cup to Emily and helped her take a sip. Still holding the cup, Amanda took the chair. "We're listening, Emily. If you're too tired, we can come back."

"I'll probably need a rest in a few minutes, but please stay while I explain." She paused for a moment. "As you might have guessed from my earlier comment, the house will be available for you and your children to visit for many years to come. I have established a trust that specifically allows your visits. Sarah, Matthew, and their children may stay here, as would Jamie, Phillip, and their families. The Bates would retain living quarters and run the consulting and training work. Smythe, who has also been a godsend, will oversee the staff and continue to lend his assistance in other things as needed." Emily coughed softly again.

Amanda, who had seen the ever-helpful Smythe at work last fall, had no doubt of his being able to "lend assistance." She held the cup for Emily again.

"Thank you, my dear." Emily settled against her pillow and continued. "As you might guess, some of the income will come from continuing to provide field training for MI-6 agents and consultations with friendly foreign intelligence organizations, most specifically the Agency. Other money will come from a trust." She closed her eyes.

At first Lee thought Emily had fallen asleep, but she was merely allowing them to digest the information. "The reason I would like your families to visit—I encourage them to visit—is that I see things changing for the Stetson clan at the Agency. I imagine that your consulting firm will continue to grow, Lee and Amanda. In fact, I expect the Bates to hire you for your services. We've drawn up a business plan for them, and MI-6 has given blank approval to seek work with you as needed—as long as your security status remains unchanged. Of course special approval will be needed for specific cases."

"So, Farnsworth manor will remain as self-sustaining?" Lee questioned.

"Yes. James helped me draft long-term plans long ago. It was a wish we both had, to use our home as a sort of retreat and a place for me to offer additional training for young agents."

"Something near and dear to your heart, right, Emily?" Amanda held the cup for Emily again.

"I hope that your Sarah and Matthew will be sent here in the not-to-distant future. Perhaps before the baby comes, if she is allowed."

Amanda and Lee exchanged glances. Lee spoke for both of them. "If she is allowed. She's a freshman agent and—well, you know." He moved to help Amanda to her feet. "We should let you rest."

"Wait, Lee. Just a few minutes more." Amanda stayed in her seat as Lee turned back to face their friend. "I know that you're aware I was a friend to your parents when you were young. It has always been a great source of grief to me that I could not raise you myself. James was even prepared to go to your uncle. You know we could never have children of our own, and we were both quite fond of you."

Stunned, Lee reached for the arms of the chair next to Amanda's and lowered himself into it. "I was not aware of that. I missed you, my parents, everyone. But I just figured my uncle was my family. He reminded me many times of his responsibility to raise me."

"I know it was not easy growing up, Lee. But we did not have any legal recourse. James was a British citizen; I hold dual-citizenship. The courts would never have allowed it. We even hired an attorney and spoke with several judges in the States."

"I imagine it's much the same now, too, Emily. I never considered there were other options—even as I grew older. Please don't feel guilty about that."

"I hope you don't mind me sharing that. I just felt you should know how much you have meant to me. There were many years as you grew up when I saw very little of you. Then, our relationship grew more businesslike after you entered the intelligence business. But I'm glad we could be close once you married Amanda."

Lee cleared his throat. "Amanda has brought a lot of good into my life and many other peoples' lives, too. We can thank her for helping us to be close these last twenty-five years."

Pulling out a tissue, Amanda dabbed her eyes. "I think we should let you rest, Emily. You're tearing up, just like me."

"It was so good of you to come." Emily attempted to hold out a frail hand once again, but Lee picked it up for her.

"We're glad to be here. We'll see you this afternoon." This time, when Lee held out his hand to Amanda, she stood and followed him from the room. Charlotte, who was waiting just down the hall, quickly rose to go to Emily's bedside.

On the first floor, they encountered Smythe, the "butler" of Farnsworth manor. A former MI-6 agent, Smythe was happy now to oversee the day-to-day management of the house as well as occasionally assist in a little of the espionage action that originated from there. He had told Amanda and Lee once that he was glad to be retired from intelligence work, but not completely out of the game.

"Good day, Mr. and Mrs. Stetson. I hope you have had a pleasant visit with Lady Farnsworth."

"It is a sad time. But yes, thank you."

"Shall I have a lunch set out for you in the sunroom? Perhaps in an hour or two?"

"Two hours would be good, Smythe. Thanks. Mrs. Stetson and I are going for a walk."

"Very good." He bowed and turned towards the hallway to the kitchens. But before Lee and Amanda could take a step, he turned back. "I just want to tell you that we are all very sorry about Lady Farnsworth's ill health." He paused and looked down at their feet. "And do mind the mud. The gardens south of the house should be dry by now."

When Smythe was out of earshot, Lee grumbled, "I wasn't going to track mud in the house."

"He felt awkward, Lee. It was a way to change the subject. And honestly, I would rather not get my shoes muddy." She grinned to herself.

Amanda waited until they were outside before she spoke again. "That was a lot to digest in there."

Noting Amanda's somber tone of voice, Lee placed an arm around her shoulders. "It's hard to say goodbye to an old friend."

"Lee, she is like an aunt, a family member, to you. It's more than hard. And it may not be goodbye—yet."

When Lee did not respond, Amanda looked up at his face. Reaching out, she stopped him with a hand on his arm. "We'll both miss her."

"What if she had been the one to raise me?" Lee looked around. "What if I'd grown up here, instead of on Air Force bases?"

Amanda heard Lee's unspoken comment. _With people who wanted me around._ Her heart ached. The colonel had been a good man, but he had not been able to offer the kind of affection a small boy needed—a small boy who missed his parents desperately.

"Your life might have turned out differently."

He took her hand. "Yeah. You and I might not have crossed paths at just the right moment."

"You might not have even worked for the Agency. Or known Barney. He was really fond of you, Lee."

Lee's mind seemed to turn to dark thoughts. "I loved Barney, Amanda, but if I hadn't known him, you would not have been shot." She could see the anguish in his eyes. Amanda had almost died from the bullet wound. The recovery had been painful and had seemed long at the time. But within a few months, she had become pregnant.

"Oh, Lee." Amanda grew exasperated with Lee's train of thought. "If we hadn't known each other, there would be no Sarah."

He stopped and pulled her behind a hedge and out of sight of the house. Bringing a hand to her face, he cupped it gently. "You've made your point, Mrs. Stetson. I'm sorry to be so morose. No matter how I grew up, my life would not have been complete without you, Sarah, or Phillip and Jamie." His lips touched hers. "There's no point in wishing for something that was unlikely to have happened. I may have been unhappy growing up, but I have you and the kids. That's all that matters." He took her hand, kissing it before setting out again. "Besides, after you came along, the colonel didn't seem so bad after all. It was like having a little bit of my dad around."

As they continued their walk along the gravel paths, Amanda watched the daffodils nod in the breeze. Trees were blossoming and the roses were sprouting new growth. They might be losing their dear friend sometime soon, but they would have another life to welcome into their family that fall when Sarah and Matt's baby was born.

SMKSMKSMKSMKSMK

Tiptoeing into their bedroom on silent feet the next morning, Matt went to the bed and checked on Sarah. She was still sleeping peacefully. He breathed a sigh of relief, hoping that they had seen the end of her discomfort and the danger to their baby.

Just as Matt was about to leave the room, Sarah stirred. "Morning," she managed before stretching and yawning. She pushed herself up in the bed as Matt sat down on the edge.

"Morning, sweetie. How are you feeling today?" Matt rested a hand on his wife's leg as he leaned over and kissed her forehead.

She studied him a moment as she came fully awake. "You're already dressed. What time is it?"

"It's going on nine o'clock."

Sarah tensed, ready to jump from the bed. "Oh! You're kidding. I've been asleep for what, fourteen hours? I've never slept that long."

Matt kept his hand on Sarah's leg. "You needed it. How're you feeling?" It was the second time he had asked the question.

"Pretty good. Still sleepy, but the achiness is gone."

"The cramps?"

"Yes. I feel a lot better. I should get up."

"Wait. Sarah, I talked with my mom yesterday about your symptoms. She said we should talk with the nurse at the OB's office. Maybe we should go in and make sure the baby is okay."

"I'm not sure there's anything to worry about, but alright." Sarah moved to get up. "I'm going to take a shower."

"Hon, hold on. My mom did say you should rest for a couple of days. Take it easy."

Sarah regarded Matt for a moment. "I'm sorry I worried you about me and the baby."

"Don't be sorry. It's not your fault. I'd say you probably should not have gone this weekend, but that would have really messed up your agent status."

"Yes. Wong probably would not have let me finish training." She placed a hand on top of Matt's. "I'll take it easy today, I promise. I just want to brush my teeth and take a shower." She glanced around the room. "Did you unpack?"

"Yeah. I ran a couple of loads of wash yesterday—and before you worry, I made sure to hang dry the delicates."

Sarah giggled. "You mean the unmentionables? My foundation garments?"

Matt rolled his eyes. "Your bras are safe from the dryer, okay? I figured since you used to hide your bras from me before we got married, you would be one who was embarrassed when I mentioned them. But I guess not." He smiled to show that he was not really put off by her teasing. Rising from the bed, he held out his hand to help Sarah up. "Do you want me to bring you some tea and toast?"

She made a face and placed a hand on her stomach. "Yes, please do. Thanks, love."

Matt left the room and Sarah turned towards the bathroom. She had been relieved that the cramps had disappeared during the night. It had been painful, but the tears that had been threatening to come the day before had not been from pain—they had been from fear and worry.

Now she felt like a new person. The telltale signs of nausea were starting to creep in—Sarah had never expected to be comforted by feeling sick to her stomach. It would be good to take a quick shower, but not until after she ate a little something. And as much as she wanted to move around after sleeping so long, she knew Matt was right. She needed to rest. She was responsible for more than just herself. Matt was the love of her life and she was carrying his child. She wanted to see who that little person was just as badly as he did. October seemed a long time off.

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Sarah spent the rest of the day on the couch reading, watching movies, or playing cards with Matt. They had a Skype session with Sharon before lunch, but since Sarah was feeling better, most of the conversation was spent talking about their upcoming trip to Texas in late May and June. Matt noticed that his mother was careful to avoid showing any concern over Sarah's cramping from the day before. It might have been helpful to Sarah, but it made Matt more worried. He knew his mother and her bedside manner too well.

Rene called Matt in the afternoon.

"How's Sarah feeling?"

"Other than being tired, she seems fine."

"You called the doctor, right?"

"They said not to worry for now, but that Sarah should rest for a couple of days. Pretty much what my mom said."

"Great, right? Listen, man. She'll be fine. She just got overtired."

"Yeah. Good thing we have the days off. How's Patti?"

"She's fine. I guess she and her sister finished setting up the nursery."

"Doesn't she have several more weeks?"

"Well, Patti and her sister can never sit still. Since we put off getting a house for a while, they needed some kind of decorating project, I guess. Besides, babies come early sometimes." There was a brief pause. "Listen, I won't keep you. Tell Sarah I was thinking of her. I'll see you two on Wednesday."

As Matt ended the call, he wandered back into the living room. Sarah had fallen asleep. He adjusted the blanket that covered her and turned off the television. With all the reassurance he was getting from everyone, he should be at peace about Sarah and the baby. But he was not. His gut was telling him something was wrong.

Sitting down in the easy chair opposite the couch, Matt retrieved his laptop from the coffee table. After clicking on the browser, he opened the tab he had bookmarked just last week. The jewelry store where had bought the charm bracelet for Sarah's birthday had advertised a sale. He knew it was early yet, but he had been unable to resist stopping by the store and picking up another addition to the bracelet. Now a small gift box holding a tiny pair of silver baby booties was tucked far back in the bottom drawer of his dresser.

The thought of something happening to their baby left an ache in Matt's chest. He quickly closed the tab and began reading news headlines instead.

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On Wednesday morning, Sarah was up at her usual time—early enough to go for a run on the treadmill—and eager for some exercise.

Matt looked up in surprise when she came into their small exercise room downstairs. Intended for storage or for a small workshop, it was just large enough to hold the weight machine and the treadmill. The weights clanged together as Matt released them too quickly. He was huffing a little and Sarah could see patches of sweat on his shirt. He frowned. "Are you planning to go for a run?"

"You're done, right? I heard you on the treadmill when I went into the kitchen for my rice cake."

Matt moved to another station and started another repetition. "I was going to bring it to you in a little bit. I thought you'd be sleeping another twenty minutes or more." He sounded disappointed.

"Oh, well. I was up, and I didn't want to get nauseous. I think I'm finally caught up on sleep."

"But do you think you should run?"

"I'm just going for a light jog—really a fast walk. I just need to get my legs moving. I slept so much the last two days, I'm cramping up."

"You're cramping?"

At Matt's look of alarm, Sarah quickly corrected herself. "My leg muscles. I just need to stretch them. I won't work out too hard." She stepped over to Matt on her way to the treadmill and leaned in to kiss his cheek as he paused between repetitions. "I feel fine, honey. Please don't worry about me and the baby."

"I'm sorry—"

"You don't have to apologize. I gave you—both of us—a scare. I was trying not to get upset on Sunday. I figured that would only make things worse."

"You're right. And I need to stop worrying."

Sarah merely smiled as she worked her way up to a slow jog. She monitored her pulse and Matt did his best to keep his mind on his own workout.


	6. Chapter 6

Written by Scooplet

Concept by Cheryl and Scooplet

Scarecrow and Mrs. King characters are the property of Shoot the Moon Productions and Warner Bros. Television. No copyright infringement intended. Not for commercial use. Sarah Stetson and Matt Granger are my creation, however, so please respect my right to claim ownership of them—I do not authorize permission to use them in stories not authored by me.

I Know He Watches Me, Part Two

Chapter Six

Two hours later, Sarah and Matt were knocking on Francine's office door. They ignored the curious eyes in the bullpen and let themselves in when Francine beckoned to them through the window.

"Hey, you caught me between conference calls. What's up?"

"Well, this won't take long." Sarah stood next to Matt behind the chairs that sat in front of Francine's desk.

The section chief regarded the couple for a moment. "Why do I get the feeling that my two kids are getting ready to fess up? Did you break the neighbor's picture window playing baseball again?" She gestured to the chairs. "Sit down. You're making me nervous." Suddenly Francine sat forward. "Oh. Is Emily Farnsworth okay? Your parents are there…"

Sarah answered the question as she and Matt took their seats. "She's still hanging in there. Mom says they are hoping she'll rally, but it's not promising."

Francine sat back in her chair, somber now. "She's a great lady. I would miss her."

"But Francine, that's not why we're here."

"Okay. Why are both of you here together? This isn't school. And you aren't working together at the moment. Granger, I have an assignment for you, but Sarah's working with Tanaka this week, I think."

Reaching out to place her hand palm down on the desk, Sarah stopped Francine's ramble. "I'm pregnant, Francine. Nearly eleven weeks along."

Francine's eyes widened, and for the first time Sarah could remember, her godmother was speechless. But not for long. She turned to Matt with a smirk. "I can hardly blame a couple of newlyweds for playing backgammon all the time—but surely you knew to use protection?" She clamped a hand over her mouth. "Sorry. That was uncalled for. I'm in a little bit of shock here."

Blushing, Sarah sat back in her seat, unable to look at Matt. "I told Mom ten years ago that I knew what you meant when you talked about 'backgammon,' but she kept telling me I was all wrong." She rolled her eyes. "And yes, we used protection. I blew it and forgot my pills on just a few too many days."

Matt felt the heat rising on his neck. The conversation had grown much more personal than he had anticipated. Sarah might be quite comfortable with Francine, but he was not. He ignored his discomfort and forged ahead with his own agenda for their conversation.

"Well, I could have been helping Sarah remember." He kept talking before the women could respond. "But now that Sarah is pregnant, we're excited about the baby."

Sarah interrupted him. "Since you're practically family, Francine, I wanted to tell you in person, so you wouldn't get the personnel notification first."

Francine regarded the two young agents for a moment. "Listen, you two are young, but somehow you manage to deal with whatever gets thrown your way. And you deserve all the happiness in the world. You will make great parents." She chuckled and looked directly at Sarah. "I bet your dad is over the moon. His little girl is having a baby."

"He is happy. So is Mom. They've been great. But Daddy is worried about work. He's fussing about me taking risks."

Matt realized he would not be able to get a word in edgewise. He sighed, but neither Sarah nor Francine noticed.

"And he's right. Oh, I remember carrying the twins. Everyone had advice for me or wanted me to wait in the car. Between your father and Efraim, I thought I'd go nuts. But your mother was supportive and I could not argue with those two men. After a few months, it was simply not safe for me to be in the field, either for the babies or for me."

"I figured everyone will know pretty quickly that I'm expecting."

"Not because of me. Keep it to yourself. Does Wong know?"

"Yes."

Francine blew out a breath. "I suppose you needed to tell him. I'll make sure he's giving you low profile assignments. The worst of the physical stuff is over. And you're done in the range and the Arena. It's not good for the baby's hearing and I don't believe it's worth the risk."

With his agenda now covered, Matt relaxed. After a few moments, they were on the way out to the bullpen.

Sarah placed a hand on his arm. "You okay? You hardly said a word."

He smirked. "You were doing fine on your own. Francine pretty much covered everything I was worried about." He glanced at his watch. "We'd better get to that debriefing. It won't do to be late."

At the debriefing, Sarah found she was having trouble keeping her eyes open, despite all the sleep she had had the past two days. Wong was dwelling on minute details and quite frankly, Sarah was bored. She caught herself drifting off again, but when Wong's words registered, she was soon wide awake.

"…despite her physical condition, Sparrow was an impressive asset to the team." Wong smiled over at her, but there was something besides pride in that smile. Was there a hint of maliciousness?

"What do you mean, physical condition? Weren't we all tired by the end of the day?" Catherine Scott was quick to jump in, as usual.

Matt stiffened in the seat beside Sarah.

Costas smirked. "I'd guessed as much." Seeing Matt's expression, he grew serious. "But you've been a real trooper, Sarah."

"Guessed what?" Catherine stared first at Greg and then at Sarah, who was now blushing. "Ohhhh." Seeing Sarah's expression, she said no more.

Grateful for Catherine's uncharacteristic silence, Sarah cast a grateful smile her way. But she wondered what the talk would be like when she was out of earshot.

"Look, let's get back to the discussion. We need to talk about the tactics we used for crossing the bridge and then we can break for lunch. I'll be giving out your assignments this afternoon after we discuss your focus areas."

Matt stared at his notes. By the flare of his nostrils and the slight tremble of his hand, Sarah could tell he was angry. Richard Wong had not said the actual words, but he had done as much damage as if he had come out and actually told the entire Agency over a loudspeaker that Sarah was pregnant.

Richard Wong did not brief Sarah personally about her "focus area." He asked Grace Tanaka to do it while Matt took him aside.

Grace glanced at the two men as she led Sarah down the hall to a small conference room. "I'm glad I'm not in Richard's shoes. Matt looks pretty steamed."

"Richard all but told the class that I was pregnant. Two of the people figured it out. Everyone at the Agency is going to know. Francine had just encouraged me to keep it to myself, too. Matt's about the maddest I've ever seen him."

"Looks like he's ripping him a new one. Good for Matt." Grace stared at the two men before walking into the conference room. "I'd hate to be the boy that brought your daughter home late from a date."

"We might have a boy."

Grace rolled her eyes. "You know what I mean." She settled into her seat and waited for Sarah to sit down. "Listen, I should tell you up front that Francine asked me to go over your focus areas with you. She came and talked to me after that break."

"I bet that made Richard mad." Sarah wondered if he had shared her secret as a means of getting back at her.

Grace eyed Sarah momentarily, and then glanced down at her notes. "Um, sort of. Let's get started."

Anxiously running her palms along her slacks, Sarah nodded. "Sure."

"And there's no need to get worked up. If I had to guess, I'd say you're probably at the top of your class." She eyed Sarah again. "Don't worry about Wong."

"Thanks, Grace."

"We're going to spend more time on surveillance. Francine says you need to practice your observation skills." At Sarah's expression, Grace continued. "Everyone has to do that. It's not personal. Actually, what she said was that she wanted you on surveillance because of your awesome skills. Something about having Stetson blood."

"Thanks, but I think she's trying to make sure I don't hurt the baby." Sarah placed a hand on her hip and shifted uncomfortably. "I'm not complaining, to be honest."

"You okay?"

"I'm not sure. I was feeling pretty well before, but when I sat in this chair…"

"Sarah, unless you have gas, you should go to the doctor."

Sarah had learned to overlook Grace's blunt remarks. "I don't want to worry Matt. He was so anxious about me on Sunday. I was too tired and hurting too much to say anything to make him feel better."

"Maybe he should have been worried."

"Well, I am kind of worried, too. I did a lot of sleeping and resting the last couple of days. I shouldn't be cramping anymore." But the energy Sarah had felt earlier that day had been replaced with increasing lethargy.

"Well, let's just finish here and you can rest in my car. The surveillance site is not in a bad part of town and the weather is pretty nice today. You can play the part of the lounging office girl on break. We can get Starbuck's cups and chat it up."

"You make this sound like a party."

"Hey! We'll be playing our covers. It's work. You'll be drinking ginger tea." She glanced down at her list. "Wong was not happy that Francine put the kibosh on you spending time at the range and the Arena several times a week. Apparently he wants everyone to be running the Arena a few times a week and practicing their shooting almost every day."

Sarah nodded. She expected as much.

"I guess someone complained you were too slow with research. So we'll spend time on that. Actually, Francine got with Jamie, and you'll work with him."

Sarah could not contain her frustration. "Who said I was too slow? Bob Fisk? He's such a—"

"Settle down. We all know Bob is a… Well, he's annoying. No one will believe him. And now you can spend more time in Analysis. Francine endorsed that."

"It will go in my record that I'm a poor performer. I'm never going to be able to stay in D.C." _Get a hold of yourself, Sarah. You can't lose it in front of Grace._

"You still have a chance to change this evaluation. Jamie and his staff will have a chance to make comments on your work, since you can work with him when you and I aren't out in the field."

Sarah allowed herself to be mollified with that.

"Well, you and I need to go have our little car partay. Let's go pick up a camera and get on the road."

SMKSMKSMKSMKSMK

"Hello, sweetheart! What a pleasant surprise."

Sarah had not realized how much she wanted to see her mother's face until she heard her familiar, slightly squeaky voice and saw her somewhat blurry image on her phone's screen. She breathed a little prayer of thanks for Skype.

"Hi, Mom. How are things going there?"

Her mother's bright countenance faltered. "Oh well, your father is having a hard time. I'm sad, too, but it's been rough for him. The good news is that Emily has been holding her own the last few days."

"That's good news." Sarah wondered if Emily might rally enough to get back on her feet.

Her mother must have been reading her thoughts. "The doctor says that she was buoyed by the visitors. But her heart is just so weak, Sarah. Your father has been so hopeful, but after hearing the doctor's prognosis, I think Emily won't be with us much longer."

"I'm sorry to hear that—and I'm sorry for Daddy. Please tell him I'm thinking of him."

"Maybe you could talk with him when we're done."

"Sure, Mom. I'm going to be heading out with Grace for surveillance in a few. I just wanted to talk for a minute. What did you do today?"

"Oh well—we visited with Emily a few times—she likes us to come for a short visit after breakfast and a couple of times in the afternoons. We had dinner with the Bates. Now we are just resting in our rooms."

"Oooh, the suite again, right?"

Amanda smiled. "Yes. It's very nice. We always feel at home here. Emily wants all of you kids and your families to feel welcome any time you come to England. The suite is reserved for our family."

"Oh, that is very generous of her. I guess the "business" will continue on—that's what would have expected." Sarah hooked her fingers to make quotation marks in the air when she said the word "business."

"Yes. That's right." Amanda's brow furrowed. "Enough about us. How about you? Are you okay?"

Taken aback by her mother's concerned tone of voice, Sarah was speechless a moment. "Uh, yeah. Why?"

"Sweetheart, I'm your mother. I know when something isn't right with one of my children. And I don't mean that you're nauseous. Are you upset about something? I heard that Richard Wong spilled the beans about your pregnancy."

"Yes, he did. And pretty much everyone knows by now. But they've been nice enough." There was no point in mentioning the ribbing that she and Matt had been subject to over the last two days.

Sarah wanted desperately to tell her mother that she was worried about the baby, but her mother had enough on her plate. She was upset over losing a close friend and she was trying to comfort her husband. Besides, Sarah had felt fine for days now. It was Thursday, and she had not had any real symptoms since Sunday—not really.

She used the re-direction tactics she had learned from her parents. "Actually, I wanted to surprise Matt by planning a little getaway this weekend. If we went to the cabin on Friday night, we could go to church on Sunday for Easter and see the family in the afternoon."

"You know your father and I never mind you going up to the cabin. Since no one else wants to go, there's no problem with you and Matt making plans to go last minute." Sarah watched her mother's expression. Sarah had not fooled her. "Listen, sweetheart. If something is on your mind, it will feel better to talk about it. Everything is fine between you and Matt?"

That was easy. "Of course!" Things were more than fine with Matt—other than the fact that he was treating her with kid gloves. That was why she wanted to get away for the weekend. A romantic weekend.

"You are coming home at a decent hour now? No more late nights? I always worried about you and the baby when you did that night after night."

"Yes, Mom—I'm only working about eight or nine hours a day for now. It's been so nice to come home from work in time for dinner. I plan to cook some pasta tonight. Poor Matt has been doing all the cooking for too long."

"As long as you aren't overdoing it." Her mother looked to one side. "Your father is eager to talk to you."

While her mother's voice seemed close, Sarah considered the fact that they were separated by an ocean. She almost stopped her mother and confided in her about her concerns over the baby, but when Sarah looked back at her phone, her father's face had replaced her mother's.

"Hey, Pumpkin. You doing okay?"

Why was it that her parents could sense when she was not okay? Would she have that sixth sense with her own kids? "I'm okay, Daddy. How are you?"

"I'm fine."

Sarah could sense that her father was being artificially bright. Perhaps it was just a sixth sense they all shared. "How are you really doing, Daddy?"

Lee stared into the phone and sighed. "It's kind of hard knowing that Emily won't get better." He seemed downcast for a moment, but a smile appeared on his face. "I heard you were a hot shot sniper over the weekend. How was it?"

"It went well, Daddy. Pretty exhausting, but I guess that's what it's like in a real scenario, too."

"Yes, but they don't send pregnant women to those. You sure you're okay? Francine called. She was frustrated you hadn't told her you were pregnant sooner. She thinks you're overdoing it."

"Daddy, is that really what she said? Or are you thinking that?"

"Maybe a little of both." Lee's face was almost stern. "You shouldn't have gone, Pumpkin. And Francine was worried—partly as your godmother, and partly because as your boss, if anything happens to you, she's responsible. Not just from a legal standpoint, but—"

"But she doesn't want to incur Lee Stetson's wrath. Really, Daddy. I'm fine. I was pretty tired, but Matt took care of me. I slept a lot Sunday night, and Monday and Tuesday, too." Now Sarah felt guilty for worrying her father.

Lee's expression softened. "Francine cares about you. And Matt's a good man. I know you just wanted to complete your training. I just can't help worrying about my girl."

"I know, Daddy."

"Hey, I overheard your mother earlier—you and Matt are going to the cabin. Are you planning on riding the horses this weekend?"

"I was thinking of it." However, she first had to broach the subject with Matt. He was likely to be anxious about her getting on a horse.

"Well, I'm a little worried they'll be squirrely after being cooped up a lot this winter. Let me give Fred a call…"

"Daddy, you're in England. I'll talk to Fred. I promise I won't ride if Panda is skittish. I'm sure Matt won't want me to ride him if he is anyway."

Lee's expression was smug. "I knew it was a good idea to get you two together. The man thinks like I do."

From the twinkle in her father's eye and the dimple on his cheek, Sarah knew better than to react to her father's jibe. "Listen, I have to go meet Grace for surveillance—"

"Wait! Let me get your mother, so she can say goodbye. We may not get a chance to talk again until Easter."

Amanda's face appeared next to Lee's. Sarah could not help but smile at her parents. It felt so good to be loved like that. She thought of other friends whose parents were divorced and was grateful that her parents were still so close. "Love you guys. Please tell Emily I'm thinking of her."

"Love you, too, sweetheart."

"Love you, Pumpkin."

Her mother's voice was a cheerful singsong, while her father's was deep and gravelly. Sarah was glad that she had kept her worries to herself as she closed the application on her phone and left the conference room in search of Grace Tanaka.

SMKSMKSMKSMKSMKSMK

"Something's off, I know it. Did Sarah look okay to you?"

"She says she's fine, Lee," Amanda placated. She was not entirely convinced that Sarah was well, but she did not want to add to Lee's worry. There was enough to worry about right there in Farnsworth manor. "I'm still concerned that we'll be expected to come here regularly to consult. I know it's quite an honor, but we have another grandchild coming in the fall, and the other grandkids are getting older. They will be too busy to spend time with us soon enough. I thought we were supposed to be semi-retired."

Lee rolled his eyes and Amanda stopped her whining ramble, embarrassed. "Sorry. I guess I was just getting carried away."

He smiled knowingly. "You're as worried about Sarah as I am. Do you think we should go home for the weekend? It is Easter weekend."

"We already worked that out with all three of the kids. Sarah and Matt are going to spend the day with Jamie and his family. Jennifer's parents are going to be there. The boys love spending time with you, Lee, but they'll be distracted. They won't miss us much."

"The kids will be all right without us. I was thinking of being there in case something happened with Sarah."

"Well, truth be told, she did not look entirely well. But you remember how hard the first trimester was for me. She's just tired." Amanda was no longer embarrassed. If she could take her husband's mind off of his worries by having him placate her, she was alright with that. "As far as us working at Farnsworth manor, it has been in the back of my mind."

"Listen, Amanda. I'm all for honoring Emily and respecting her wishes, but we have a lot on our plates already. The Bates have this all covered. Tristan is expecting to add to our consulting work. That's all." Lee stepped over to Amanda and placed his hands on her waist. "What would you think of a moonlit stroll in the gardens?"

Her hands went to his shoulders as she leaned into his embrace. "That would be nice." Amanda knew they could both use the distraction of a romantic evening. And by the look on her husband's face, he was thinking the same thing. She went to get her jacket.

SMKSMKSMKSMKSMKSMK

Having made the sauce, Sarah was just putting the water on to boil for the pasta when the alarm chimed—someone had let themselves in the front door. She heard her husband's voice call out from the base of the stairs. He was halfway up when she got to the top step.

"Hey, beautiful. Something smells amazing." His grin, which reached his eyes and made them twinkle, was infectious.

"Hey, handsome." She held out her arms for a hug and was rewarded by being lifted off of her feet. She wrapped her arms around Matt's neck as they kissed in greeting. He set her down and she took a step back. "It's a recipe I haven't cooked in a while."

"Let me go wash up and I'll come back to help you finish."

"Sure." Sarah watched Matt climb the stairs to their bedroom. He had handled the idea of her cooking dinner without comment. Hopefully he would not object to a weekend away, too.

A few minutes late Sarah was at the kitchen sink when a pair of arms encircled her waist and a deep voice spoke in her ear. "How about you put your feet up for a little bit? I'll watch the pasta and get a start on those dishes."

When Sarah leaned back against Matt for a moment, it felt good. A little too good. She was tired. After all, only the pasta needed to be cooked. Perhaps if she agreed that she needed the rest, Matt would be more willing to drive into the mountains for the weekend. It was only a little over an hour away, but that was in good weather, and at this time of year, there was always the possibility of a spring storm.

Sarah was dozing on the sofa when Matt shook her gently. She opened her eyes to see him crouched next to her. His voice was quiet, as if he was afraid he would startle her. "Sarah. The dinner is ready. You should come sit down."

"Oh. I guess I must have closed my eyes."

"You were out as soon as you lay down on the couch." He held out a hand to help her up and they went to the table.

Matt was on his third bite when he paused with his fork in mid-air and looked at Sarah. "This pasta is delicious. The salmon makes it really tasty."

"I know how much you like salmon, so I picked some up at the store.

"It was sweet of you to make it."

Sarah could see that Matt was trying to soft pedal a mild lecture. She knew he was right, but she could not help feeling a little defeated that he had been the one to place the food on the table. "You helped. I just wish I had the energy to do it all on my own."

"You did a lot today, honey. You worked all day, went to the grocery store, and made dinner." He put his fork back on the plate and took her hand. "Honestly, it was a really special treat, but it worries me when you try to do too much."

"But you end up doing too much." Sarah felt the sting of tears in her eyes and she blinked them away.

"Hey." He squeezed her hand, and then reached up to wipe away her tears with his thumb. "You're carrying our baby. That's a lot. All I did was drain the pasta and wash a couple of things."

"Francine has put a lot of limits on me at the Agency. Grace has us doing some easy surveillance. I'm not working that hard."

"It's about time. Sweetie, you were working way too hard before. And I happen to know what you're working on. It's still important."

Seeing that she was no longer upset, Matt started eating again. Sarah watched him a moment. "The cabin is free this weekend. I thought we could spend a little time away together Friday night and Saturday. We could still get to church on Sunday for the Easter service and the family get-together at Jamie and Jennifer's that afternoon."

He finished chewing. "That's great! I would love to get away with you. But you have something else in mind, too, don't you?"

"Am I that obvious?"

"Well, I know you pretty well. Is it the horses—do you want to go riding?" At Sarah's nod, he continued. "Because I'm not so sure that would be a good idea. You weren't feeling well last weekend. What if Panda shied or acted up? I know you're not likely to fall, but… It just seems like a rough activity for you." At Sarah's frustrated expression, Matt toned down his reaction. "I'm not trying to boss you around, Sarah, but I'm your husband. When push comes to shove, I'm going to tell you if something doesn't seem right to me."

"Daddy said the same thing about the horses when I talked to him. What if we just walk them calmly? Say they've been exercised already? I can call Fred first."

"Weeell." Sarah could see that Matt was dubious—yet on the other hand, he wanted to make her happy. "It will depend upon what Fred says."

"But you want to go to the cabin?"

Matt was nearly done with his meal. He pushed back from the table and held out his arms to Sarah. She climbed into his lap. He smelled good—a little like after shave, a little like soap—and it was nice to feel his arms around her. She relaxed against him.

"Honey, it was really sweet of you to surprise me with the idea. You don't have to tiptoe around me. Of course I'd like to go." He nuzzled her neck and whispered in her ear. "If you're still feeling well, we can…" He touched his lips behind her ear. "You know…" He kissed her again on the neck this time. "Light a few candles, you can bring one of those little lacy things you wore on our honeymoon…" He trailed kisses down her neck and inside the collar of her shirt, smiling when she shivered a little.

Sarah was having trouble concentrating on their conversation. Giving up on talking about the cabin any longer, she ran her fingers through Matt's hair as his lips continued along her collarbone. "Maybe we should take this upstairs… Or to the couch."

He groaned a little and brought his head up. "Or I should go do the dishes. I was just complaining about you doing too much and the doctor did say you should take it easy this week."

"You do too much, too." Continuing to run her hands through his hair, Sarah murmured, "We can cuddle on the couch," before bringing her lips to Matt's.

Matt ended the kiss after a moment and grinned at her. With a little grunt, he shifted his legs and stood, bringing Sarah up with him. "The couch it is, then." His voice was stern, but his eyes were twinkling. "And we'll stick to just the cuddling." Without warning, he lifted her off of her feet and carried her to the sofa.


	7. Chapter 7

Written by Scooplet

Concept by Cheryl and Scooplet

Scarecrow and Mrs. King characters are the property of Shoot the Moon Productions and Warner Bros. Television. No copyright infringement intended. Not for commercial use. Sarah Stetson and Matt Granger are my creation, however, so please respect my right to claim ownership of them—I do not authorize permission to use them in stories not authored by me.

I Know He Watches Me, Part Two

Chapter Seven

Matt was negotiating Easter Sunday traffic on the way from their church to Phillip's house. He was still regretting having to leave the cabin earlier than usual. Except for that morning, it had been the most relaxing weekend they had enjoyed since their wedding. The weather had been warm, the horses had been calm enough to ride, and they had even taken a picnic dinner to the rock afterwards so they could watch the sun set.

"It was good to celebrate Easter at church. But next time we go to the cabin for the weekend, we'll have our own little service out at the cabin. We won't have to get up so early to clean the place."

"I'd like that, but I'm glad we were at the Easter service." Sarah placed a hand on Matt's knee. "We don't have to stay at Phillip's all afternoon. Maybe we could go for a little run or watch a movie or something."

Although he did not want to discourage her, he planned to avoid the running option. Matt was still nervous about Sarah exerting herself. "There's a couple of movies that came out online recently."

"That would be fun."

"Too bad we can't go to Martini's afterwards." Matt picked up Sarah's hand and kissed her palm. "Pasta and chocolate cake…"

"There's still some salmon in the freezer. We can come up with something." Smiling, she leaned across the console. "I love you like crazy, you know."

"And I love you like crazy."

SMKSMKSMKSMKSMKSMK

"She's getting weaker, isn't she, Amanda?" Lee leaned against the wall outside Emily's door on Monday morning. "Charlotte hardly gets a break now. She sleeps on the cot in there." 

"I think there's a reason why there's only one nurse—she's an old friend of Emily's. But you're right. That's not why Charlotte isn't leaving the room anymore." Amanda stepped over to Lee and took his hand. "We're almost at the end, sweetheart."

Lee closed his eyes. "We've only been here ten days—not even quite that long. I was hoping we would have more time."

"Every day has been a gift, Lee. Be glad for Emily's friendship."

"She's more like an aunt. She knows us better than the Colonel did."

When Amanda slipped her arms around Lee's waist, he returned the gesture. An idea came to her. "Is there anything you want Emily to know? We could go to our rooms and write something down so we say it just right. Charlotte said to come back in a half an hour…"

Lee stared at his wife for a moment.

"I know you don't like doing that sort of thing…"

"Actually, it would be perfect. Let's go right now. I know just what to say."

SMKSMKSMKSMKSMKSMK

When Richard Wong called for a ten-minute break from their morning meeting, Sarah took the time to gather her notes before leaving the classroom. The rest of their morning session would be interrogation practice, so she would not need her papers.

Hearing her name, she looked up in surprise. It was Jamie.

"Hi. What are you doing here?" She glanced around and offered her brother a little half smile as she said in a lowered voice. "I didn't think you'd come this close to Richard Wong and the freshman agents."

Grinning back at her, Jamie whispered conspiratorially, "If I didn't need to talk with you, I wouldn't come within a hundred feet of this classroom."

"I have texting on my phone," she offered with an impish smile.

"I said talk." Jamie's tone was light, but he grew serious. "I need your help as soon as you're done here. It's actually a case that Matt is working on."

"Okay. Did you clear it with Francine and Grace?"

"Yes. Can you come by my office in an hour?"

"Sure."

Jamie turned to go, but stopped. "Thanks, Sis. I hope you know that I am asking you because you're good at research, not just because you're my sister."

Sarah smiled again. "Well, it's nice that someone thinks that."

"Don't give up on staying in D.C., okay?" He stepped to the door, calling over his shoulder, "It's going to take a while. I hope you packed a lunch today."

SMKSMKSMKSMKSMKSMK

"You're saying George called you this time? Since when does he go out and listen for info on his own? Baseball season started over a week ago."

Rene stared at his partner. He had a point. "I think he's more interested in the money now. I called him last week to see if he'd heard anything."

Matt was less skeptical. "Well, we told Francine we were spending the morning in the bullpen, getting background on our assignment. Maybe George found something in between baseball games."

George was a baseball fanatic. He only went out in his homeless costume or some other getup when he had a lead. Maybe George had not bothered to swap out the cheap wine for grape juice this time. But Rene did not want to take that chance. "Look, man. He wouldn't say over the phone. You know how he doesn't trust cell phones."

"Well, this assignment is looking way too familiar. I'm still not ready for a trip to Kazakhstan." Matt rubbed the scars on his chest absentmindedly. "That whole thing morphed into the cartel vendetta. All we know so far is that someone is dealing weapons in the warehouse district, and it's not U.S. citizens doing it."

"I hear you. George gave us some good intel on that case. But we don't know what George has for us this time. Let's not assume the worst." Rene stood and adjusted his shoulder holster. "Patti only has a little over a month to go. I don't need to take any bullets this time—I can just see her going into early labor."

"But you're not worried we're replaying that whole thing?" Matt reluctantly rose from his seat and reached for his suit jacket.

"Hey, I'm usually the superstitious one here. And Francine told us to get some more intel."

"Sorry. I just wanted to get out of here on time. It's been pretty nice having Sarah at home in the evenings. Who knows how much longer that's going to go on?"

Instead of ribbing his partner for being lovesick, Rene offered him a sympathetic glance. "Well, she's still in D.C. for now and you will most likely be able to leave here by five o'clock or five-thirty tonight. Let's go and talk to George. We'll be back in an hour and we'll have plenty of time to look into what he has to say."

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George was a retired detective who liked to keep his ear to the ground in exchange for cash. The Agency kept a fund for these kinds of eyes-on-the-street contacts and encouraged the agents to develop them. Matt was not sure how Rene had met George, but Matt had already seen how the crusty older man had proven invaluable in the past.

Today George was seated in the back of a sports bar in Georgetown, not far from the Agency. His Washington Nationals shirt and baseball cap helped him blend in with all the other fans who had come in to watch the Tuesday afternoon game. The game would not start for another hour or two, but there was already a small crowd of retirees and a few younger men and women scattered around the bar.

George remained in his seat as Rene approached him and grabbed the chair beside him. Matt preferred to keep more of a distance so he could watch the surrounding tables for prying eyes.

"Pretty boy, you need to come closer."

Matt hated it when George called him that. But he pulled a chair up to the table and sat down near their informant, his eyes still scanning their surroundings.

"Look, I'm not going to shout this out, and you both need to hear it," he hissed. Staring at Matt, he waited until the younger man scooted his chair in close to George's. "Call me crazy, but I went back to the alley behind the bar where your Mexican and Kazakh friends met last summer."

Matt tried to seem unimpressed. George got on his nerves—he wanted to give the man the benefit of the doubt for Rene's sake, but he wondered if George just wanted some easy cash from Rene. He had to remind himself that George's info was often helpful. However, this was already sounding like a dead end. "All of those men were either killed, tried, or agreed to stay at home."

The cartel spin-off group had been small, and the two surviving members were now serving sentences. The naïve Kazakhs who had tried to form a resistance group had disbanded when they realized they were mixed up with dangerous men—far more dangerous than they had expected.

"Well, whatever the case, there are more Kazakhs in town, and they may not have learned their lesson."

"They're here to buy goods again?" Matt could not believe his ears. He thought that they had been convinced that an armed resistance was suicidal. Besides, all of the weapons the Kazakhs had purchased were rusting at the bottom of the Black Sea, thanks to Matt, Lee, and help from a few others.

"The guy who runs the bar was on the phone the other day. He stepped outside so he couldn't be heard, but I was pretending to be passed out not far from his door. He was talking all about the Kazakhs to someone. They were talking about watching out for agents, one in particular, and it sounds like you, pretty boy."

Annoyed, Matt glanced at Rene, who was now busy scanning the surrounding tables.

"Me? Why me? How do you know it's me?"

"They're looking for a spook who busted them in Kazakhstan. They describe you as sort of a big guy with blond hair."

"That could be anyone."

"I'm not saying that I know you were the one who went to Kazakhstan. _You_ are."

"I didn't say anything of the sort."

"It's your body language. You may be trained to hide things from people, but I've been doing this longer than you've been alive."

Frowning, Matt looked away. "What else did you hear?"

"Not much else from the bar's owner. But I did a little more snooping around."

Rene finally broke into the conversation. "That's our job, George. You may be a veteran, but you're getting into sticky stuff and you're supposed to be retired. You could catch a bullet by snooping around too much."

"Be that as it may, don't you want to know what I found out?"

Matt was feeling truly annoyed now. "You want to tell us."

"I hope you have enough cash for this."

Rene was all business. "Just tell us."

"One of the buyers is hoping to find blondie, not avoid him."

Matt stared at George. "Why do you say that?"

"How the hell should I know? Maybe he wants to off you. That would be a shame. Not because of your pretty face, but because of your pretty wife. She should not have to be a widow." George took a swig of beer. "I could be wrong. All I know is that the guy was snooping around. I know you spooks don't like people talking about you on the street, so I thought you'd want to know."

Matt did not want to ask George how he knew what his wife looked like. "If someone wants to find me so badly, why don't they just call the Agency?"

"Did you leave them your calling card?"

"They know where I work."

"Do they now? Who calls up your office and gets you on the phone at the first try? Guaranteed they'll have a spook on their tail in five minutes or less if they even mention your name to the front desk."

"Point made. Do you have a phone number?"

George eyed Matt expectantly, but Matt only kicked Rene under the table to get his attention.

"Ow! What?" Rene glanced at George after seeing Matt's expression. "Oh." He reached into his pocket and passed a few bills to George without bringing his hand above the tabletop.

Satisfied with his payment, George handed a slip of paper to Matt. After glancing at the paper, Matt nodded to George. "Thanks." He looked at Rene and gestured to the door with a nod of his head.

Once inside the Agency vehicle, Matt took a closer look at the slip of paper. "It's Sergey Popovich. There's no way that George would know that name unless someone had given it to him." He pulled out his phone.

"You going to call the guy? Why not use an Agency phone?"

Matt considered this. "Sergey could possibly be under some kind of duress. Maybe the Kazakh resistance has forced him to find me."

"It would be better if Sergey or anyone who might be with him didn't have your phone number."

Back at the Agency, Matt used one of the untraceable lines to call the number on the slip of paper.

After several rings, the call was answered with a loud "Hello?" Matt could hear voices in the background.

"I'm trying to reach Sergey."

"This is Sergey." There was a long pause on the other end and rustling sounds as the sound of voices disappeared. "Matt? Is it you? Did I find you?"

It had been several months. Matt could not be certain it was really Sergey's voice, but the inflections and the accent were correct. "You haven't exactly found me, but we're talking on the phone. Why do you need to find me so badly? Why not call my work number?"

"I did not want to disturb you at work." He laughed uncomfortably. "Maybe your boss would not like me to call you at work."

"They know I'm talking to you now. Why did you call?"

"You helped me once. I want to help you this time."

"Oh? Which favor? The one involving monti or the one involving those nasty neighbors?" Matt could not keep the sarcasm out of his voice. He needed to test Sergey's motives. It was Sergey's sister Yana who had served Matt the Kazakh dumplings laced with a drug that had almost killed him.

Sergey laughed uncomfortably again. "My sister still talks about the monti. She won't make them anymore."

"I won't eat them anymore," Matt responded drily. "So I take it you meant the nasty neighbors?"

"They think I am working with them, but I really came so I could tell you. I am hoping to stop this deal. What they want is bad for our country. And I don't think you want this business to happen here."

"When is this deal?"

"Tomorrow morning, six o'clock. Warehouse district. I give you an address."

"How do I know this isn't a set up? That you aren't trying to trick us?"

"Like I tell you, these people are bad for our country. You helped stop the trouble once already, but you come all the way to Kazakhstan. Now I am helping you stop the trouble before it leaves the United States. It is my way of thanking you. Yana and Alexei thank you, too."

"Why are they not here, too?"

"I am the one that was asked to help. Alexei and Yana are staying out of trouble. She will have a baby soon."

It seemed to Matt that everyone around him was pregnant. "Then they did get married?"

"Well, yes."

Matt decided not to ask for details in case the timing might be an embarrassment to Sergey. It had been about nine months since he had last seen Alexei and Yana, and they had only been engaged at the time.

"That means you will be an uncle. Congratulations."

Rene had been giving Matt pointed looks all this time. Matt offered his partner a thumbs up. Sergey seemed to be telling the truth—at least his information would be worth the man-hours of follow up and perhaps even an operation in the warehouse district tomorrow morning.

"Thank you." Sergey's tone of voice made Matt wonder if the man doubted he would see the baby. He knew he needed to remain objective, but Sergey and his family had turned out to be almost likeable.

"Give me an address and any other information you have. If we are going to do something, I need to know what you know. Can you meet us somewhere?"

Sergey's voice grew urgent. "I have to go. I cannot meet with you. Just write this down quickly."

Matt made notes as Sergey spoke quickly and hung up the phone.

"So, is this legit?" Rene asked as soon as Matt was finished writing.

Matt did not answer right away. What if it was a set up? Sergey could still be under duress. If only they could have met in person. "I want to think so. Sergey seemed truly sorry about his part in the arms deal with the cartel. I would hope he had learned his lesson. I would like to think he is under some kind of duress. Either he is being forced to help them—he is useful because his English is very good—or he is being forced to trick us. Or he is not the person I hoped he was and he's simply helping them out.

"Let's check out the information he gave us after we talk with Francine. Maybe we can figure things out with more background."

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Sarah was holed up in a workroom next to Jamie's office, checking surveillance photos against known players and terrorists. Jamie had told her that the pressure was on to find out who was trying to deal arms with the Kazakhs—word had it that a deal was imminent. The Agency would need to find out quickly who exactly was involved if they were going to stop the trade.

The stress of the case's urgency and having slept poorly the night before made it difficult for Sarah to concentrate, so she was grateful she could work in a quiet place. The bullpen was always buzzing with conversation and activity; she wondered how Matt could get reports written or other work done.

It was going on mid-afternoon now, and Sarah knew she should eat something. The morning sickness had been barely noticeable the last few days, but she did not want to take any chances at work. Pulling out her sandwich, she regarded it listlessly. Opening a corner of the plastic wrap, she nibbled at it, but she just was not hungry. Setting down the sandwich, she decided to tackle another set of photos.

A conversation started up outside her door. Matt's deep voice, so familiar to her, was distinctive. She stood and moved closer to the door so she could hear through it.

"…looks like we have another Kazakh arms deal. Rene and I will be handling the case, and we're debating whether to run an op tomorrow morning. Can you please verify this information? We need to make sure my source is legit."

Sarah could not make out Jamie's reply. Then she heard Phillip's voice. It sounded as if he was already making plans to run the technical end of the operation.

Was it possible that Matt could be planning a trip to Kazakhstan again? At the very least, he was going to be in the middle of the arms deal that would be happening—at least he was hoping to stop it. Surprised during a similar operation last summer, Rene had been shot, his Kevlar vest saving his life. And Matt had been kicked so badly he had ended up in the emergency room. It had been the cartel who had surprised them on a rooftop. What if the people selling were the cartel? After the rooftop incident, Matt had almost died twice—once at the hands of the Kazakhs and once at the hands of the cartel. Her stomach clenched at the thought. _Come on, get a hold of yourself, she thought. You're working yourself into a tizzy._ As she stepped away from the door to go back to her desk, the discomfort was replaced by a tightness in her lower abdomen that became almost unbearable. She gripped the edge of the table next to her.

She must have groaned without realizing it, because the door flew open. Matt was standing there, and her brothers were peering over his shoulders. She thought she saw Rene in the background.

She could only make out a jumble of voices as Matt's familiar hands pried hers from the table and guided her to the chair. He crouched in front of her as the pain receded and the cramping went away. Feeling faint, Sarah closed her eyes.

"Is she passing out? She's really pale." Sarah recognized Phillip's voice, laced with concern.

"No." Matt's hand came to her forehead. "But she's kind of warm—too warm." He placed his hands on her shoulders. "Sarah. Can you tell me what's wrong?"

"I'll be okay in a minute. I guess it got too stuffy in here."

She thought she heard Phillip's exasperated sigh and opened her eyes.

Matt did not seem satisfied with her answer, either. "You were in pain when we found you."

Knowing that she should be honest with Matt, Sarah was still reluctant to tell him that she was cramping again. He had enough to worry about. "You're going on an op. It's the Kazakhs again? What if the cartel is there?"

Matt glanced over his shoulder, and Sarah saw Jamie nod knowingly. "Don't worry about any ops right now. Please tell me what happened."

"I guess I had another cramp. It was pretty bad." Sarah's voice grew tight as her stomach tightened again. This time she took a breath and it lessened.

"One time? You were listening to our conversation, and you got a cramp?" Matt looked back at her brothers again.

"Look, Sarah. Maybe you and Matt should go see the doctor." Sarah was surprised at the concern in Phillip's voice. "Amy told me you had had some trouble after the training in Kentucky." He glanced at the desk where Sarah had been working. "We can cover for you here."

"Yes, Sarah. You've gotten a lot done—you've even done some of the research Matt was just asking for. At least go home and get some rest."

Glancing from one concerned face to the next, Sarah felt a sudden longing for her mother. It was comforting to have her brothers worried about her, and Matt was always so good to her, but she longed for her mother's reassuring voice. She turned back to Matt. "I just want to go home and lay down."

An expression passed over Matt's face—one that Sarah remembered from the time he had comforted her in the emergency room after the doctors had reset her shoulder. He started to say something, but Rene interrupted him.

"Take her home, man. I'll work with Phillip on getting the op set up. I'll call you later to go over the details."

"Yes. Take Sarah home. I'll finish up the research here." Jamie's voice was firm, and Phillip was already reaching for Sarah's purse.

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Amanda's phone buzzed. Pulling it from her pocket, she saw Phillip was finally calling her back. It was after nine o'clock at night, and she and Lee were walking back to their room.

"Hello, Phillip. Has it been a busy day?"

"Yeah. I'll probably be working late. Poor Amy hasn't seen me for two nights in a row now." She heard him shift in his seat. "How is Emily?"

"It's not good, Phillip. Lee and I said our goodbyes. We don't expect her to last much longer."

"Geez, Mom. Is she still conscious?"

"Yes, but we just don't know for how long. Lee is having a tough time, so we wrote out our thoughts—you know, the things we always wanted to say—and read them to her."

"Wow. That's pretty good for Lee."

"Actually, he's said a lot of it before over the years. He just wanted to say it again."

"So, the doctors think it will be any day?"

"Yeah, I'm afraid so."

"Well, Amy and I will be thinking of you. Please let us know what happens. I'll try to call again tomorrow."

"Thanks for calling, Phillip. That was sweet of you." Amanda stopped in the hallway and sat down in a chair. "Have you seen Sarah today? I expected to hear from her tonight, but she never called."

Amanda detected hesitation in Phillip's reply. "Oh well, she still might call you. But I know Jamie had her working for him today. Maybe she'll try tomorrow."

"Well, I'll wait for her to call me, then, since she's busy."

"That's a good idea, Mom."

After he said goodbye to Amanda, Phillip leaned back in his chair, drumming his fingers worriedly on the armrest. After seeing Sarah today, it had been like déjà vu. Amy had been the same way right before she lost their second baby all those years ago—well, ten years ago now—but sometimes it seemed like yesterday. He looked up and said a thank you—hopeful that God was up there listening—for his daughter Jessica, but his heart was heavy.

Amy had needed a lot of support. Not just from her husband. Her mom had come to stay with them, and others had been there for both of them. After Amy's mother had left, his own mother had lent a hand with Jessica so Amy could rest. If his suspicions were correct, he guessed that Sarah would want to have her mom nearby for support, just like Amy had. But he did not know what was going on exactly, and Lee needed Amanda right now, at this moment. He looked up again, hoping God was listening. _Let me be wrong, God_ , he pleaded silently. _Be with my mom and Lee right now._

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Lying on the bed next to Sarah early that evening, Matt tried to be as still as possible. She did not seem to be in pain any more, but she was restless, and he did not want to wake her. He had given her something for her fever, but only after talking with the doctor's office. He was frustrated that the first appointment they could offer Sarah was at noon the next day. He knew they were fitting her in, but he was anxious and feeling just as restless as she was. Something was wrong; he felt it his gut.

His phone vibrated and he slid carefully off the bed, unwillingly leaving the room. But it was Jamie, and he needed to take the call. Shutting the door as softly as possible, he touched the talk button.

"Granger." His voice was a hoarse whisper as he stepped into the guest room and shut that door, too.

"Matt, it's Jamie. How's Sarah?"

"She seems to be feeling better, and she's taking a nap, but… I don't know…"

"Hang in there. Did you call the doctor?"

"Yeah, and they already called back. Said to give her some Tylenol and push fluids. Keep an eye on her. They're fitting her in at noon tomorrow."

"You told them about the cramps?"

"Yeah, but they had gone away before we even left your office. The nurse said it could just be stress."

"Well, you can always take a pass on the op, Matt. These guys almost killed you once."

"That was a misunderstanding. A really stupid one. I won't let them be in a position to make another mistake."

"Yes, well, you can control the Kazakhs up to a point, but wait until you find out who is selling them the weapons."

"Please don't say another cartel splinter group."

"Not quite. These guys are out of Guatemala—not Mexican cartel, but thugs nonetheless. I think they bought the weapons from the cartel. I have someone trying to confirm that, but it doesn't stop you from making sure you're there tomorrow. We have Gil Barclay insisting that we stop this exchange. NSA is coming in to help with the Guatemalans. We're to concentrate on the Kazakhs."

"I just don't want a repeat of last time with the roof incident. Most of the people we were supposed to arrest got away."

"We have too many men for that to happen this time. You and Rene impressed Francine with your setup for the operation, but none of us want to pressure you about being there."

Matt debated in silence. The last thing he wanted to do was leave Sarah alone in the morning. But things might look better tomorrow. She had recovered fairly quickly from the training at Fort Knox. Perhaps after another good rest, she would be feeling better. What if something did not go down well tomorrow? There were storms forecast for the next morning. If a storm hit, all bets might be off. Then there was the danger to Sergey. According to the intel he had gotten from Jamie, they could be fairly certain Sergey was telling the truth. He trusted Matt. Possibly with his life. If Sergey died, Matt would be partially responsible.

Jamie broke into his thoughts. "Look, Matt. I can tell you're having trouble with this—"

There was a noise outside the bedroom. "Hold on, Jamie." He opened the door to find Sarah standing the hallway.

"What are you doing up?"

"I couldn't sleep. Who are you talking to?"

"It's Jamie. Look, sweetie, you should be in bed."

"I feel better now. Are you planning the op? I can leave…" Sarah moved towards the stairs.

"I'm not going. Not if you aren't feeling well."

"I'm fine. It's just some kind of bug or something. I can go to the doctor and make sure. Jennifer or Amy can drive me if you aren't back home in time and I'm not feeling up to driving myself."

Matt stood there, his mind in a quandary. Sarah did seem fine, except for her fever. And he would make sure he was back home in time to take her to the doctor. But what if? Doubt still niggled at him.

Sarah placed her hand on Matt's arm. "Really, Matt. They need you."

Matt debated a moment more, and then spoke into the phone. "You still on the line, Jamie?" He paused as Jamie replied. "I'll be there. If something comes up, I'll call in. Rene can be my second."

Jamie sighed heavily. "Truth be told, Francine will be relieved. She'll probably want to set up a video conference call with you and Rene. We need to call an early meeting. She's gathering the team."

"I should come in."

"You already set everything up. Francine told me to tell you to stay home with Sarah. You should just come in early tomorrow—and she'll call tonight in the next hour. Francine will work let you know what time you need to come in tomorrow, but it's probably going to be four a.m."

"Thanks, Jamie."

"You can thank Francine. And take care of my sister."

"Will do. Speaking of, I need to go see what she's up to. I hear dishes clattering in the kitchen."

"It's genetic, man. She's just like our mom and grandmother. Talk to you later."

After Matt ended the call, he went downstairs in search of Sarah. She was in the kitchen, putting together dinner. He rushed to her side and took the pot out of her hands.

"Hey! You should be in bed."

"You have a big day tomorrow, Matt. I was just making some pasta. I'll cut up the leftover chicken and do something easy."

Matt would not be dissuaded. "Please let me do it. I can spare a few minutes to make us some dinner."

Sitting down reluctantly on the couch, Sarah made sure she had a good view of the kitchen. "You're always cooking. I'm afraid you're going to resent me for not doing my fair share around here."

Matt's face appeared in the kitchen doorway. "I'm not really worried about that right now. I'm more worried about your health. You're making me feel better by at least sitting down. I'd feel better than that if you put your feet up."

Sarah complied with his request as Matt turned back to the kitchen and set to work. She could not help offering a suggestion. "I was going to use some of those bell peppers, since you liked them last time."

"But you can't eat them—they upset your stomach."

"Oh, well, I'm not going to eat much. I'm not really hungry."

This time Matt did not just poke his face out of the kitchen. He walked over and squatted next to the couch. "Sarah, you haven't eaten all day. Maybe you could at least eat some pasta and chicken."

At the look of concern on his face, Sarah could not argue. After all, she had the baby to think about. "I could do that, honey. Thanks." She leaned forward and kissed his cheek before he could get up. His hand brushed over her hair as he walked back to the kitchen.

Turning her head to the window and bringing her knees to her chest, she stared outside, not really seeing the greening trees and the birds flying about as the day was winding to a close. It was too hard to consider the beauty of spring as the same feeling of dread that had come over her earlier manifested itself again. Something was not right with the baby.


	8. Chapter 8

Written by Scooplet

Concept by Cheryl and Scooplet

Scarecrow and Mrs. King characters are the property of Shoot the Moon Productions and Warner Bros. Television. No copyright infringement intended. Not for commercial use. Sarah Stetson and Matt Granger are my creation, however, so please respect my right to claim ownership of them—I do not authorize permission to use them in stories not authored by me.

I Know He Watches Me, Part Two

Chapter Eight

Waking to his alarm much earlier than usual the next morning, Matt's first thought was of Sarah, who was lying near him. She was not snuggled up against him, as was her usual habit. Reaching for her, he guessed why. She was warm—feverish—her tank top slightly damp with sweat. He kept his hand on her back for a moment, trying to decide what to do.

Her sleepy voice broke into his prayers. "You'd better get up, hon."

"You're still feverish."

"I'll be okay, she replied groggily. "You need to be there. I wish I could help in some way."

"I'm sure you've already been a big help, and I know you would be appreciated, but you need to rest. I'll be back at eleven to pick you up." He reached over to kiss her forehead before getting out of bed. He went to the bathroom and came back with a cup of water. "You should take these." He handed her two pills for the fever as Sarah propped herself up on one elbow.

After swallowing the pills and handing the cup to Matt, Sarah lay back on the pillow.

"Go back to sleep. I'm going to jump in the shower."

With more than the usual effort, Matt forced himself to focus on the operation as Rene picked him up outside his apartment a half an hour later. When they had talked the evening before, hashing out the last of the plans for the operation, Rene had insisted on driving.

"You can focus on the op if I pick you up. We can make last minute plans."

"We have everything worked out already. What if I need to rush home?"

"I'll drive you home."

Matt had wondered if Rene suspected the same thing he did about the baby. In the end, Matt had acquiesced, grateful for having a supportive partner. Matt enjoyed working with Rene—he occasionally got on his nerves, but the man had a big heart. It would be tough to work with someone else if he and Sarah relocated.

They did not talk much as they drove into the city—it was a quick trip in the dark hours of early morning. Once at the Agency, Matt and Rene made their way to the bullpen, where Phillip was already staging his equipment. Matt had seen Phillip's van in the garage, parked near the security entrance. He imagined the inside of the vehicle was already prepared.

He walked up to his brother-in-law and regarded the headpieces set out for each agent, as well as all of the other equipment the agents would need for the operation. It would not be long before the team would assemble. He glanced at Phillip, who was looking like he had aged a little since the day before. "You get any sleep? You've done everything."

Dodging the question, Phillip merely replied, "I wanted to have everything ready when you got here so I could brief you before the rest of the team got here."

"Great. Shoot."

"First tell me how Sarah is doing."

"She's still feverish, but she was feeling better after a nap yesterday. She seemed okay this morning, other than the fever."

"Well, let's hope we have you home in time to take her to the doctor. Gil Barclay will want to be in on the debriefings."

That meant they could take longer—Matt said a quick prayer that he would not be detained before Phillip briefed him and Rene on all of the monitoring equipment. Now that he was through the preliminaries, Matt was anxious to get the operation underway. As he checked his watch, Larry Chen strolled into the bullpen, followed by Ryan Johnson and Manny Gonzales. All three men were dressed like Matt: entirely in black. Soon Grace Tanaka and several other agents also assembled for the briefing.

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An hour later, the teams were in position. The sky would be turning light by the time six o'clock rolled around, but for now everything was cloaked in darkness. While it was overcast, the storms forecast to threaten the D.C. area had not yet appeared.

Since Francine wanted Matt's team to make any arrests, they were stationed at ground level in various hiding places. NSA and Agency sharpshooters had them covered from the rooftops of the warehouse district.

Time seemed to pass slowly as the minutes ticked by. The team was on radio silence, and the agents were waiting silently as well. Matt and Rene were crouched behind a dumpster near the exchange site, camouflaged among bags of trash and damaged pallets that had been piled near the dumpster by an advance team during the night. The other agents were also hidden from view by similarly staged props. The Agency vehicles and Phillip in his van were parked inside a building just down the block.

At five minutes before six o'clock, a small paneled truck pulled up along the curb near Matt and Rene. A sedan pulled up on the opposite side of the street, its four occupants immediately emerging from the vehicle and crossing the street. A man who appeared to be Kazakh stepped out of the truck, scanning the area before motioning to the others in the vehicle that all was clear. Recognizing Sergey as he stood on the sidewalk, Matt could see that the others were keeping an eye on him.

"Let's see the cash. The deal has to be done in less than five minutes or it's a no go." The leader of the foursome of Guatemalans kept his distance from the Kazakhs, but both groups of men were close enough to keep their voices low. Rene angled the mic on his long-range listening and recording device so it would pick up their voices.

One of the Kazakhs replied, "We have the money, but we want to see the weapons first. You came in a car."

A member of the Guatemalan group waved his flashlight down the street. The sound of a truck starting up could be heard in the distance. Soon it was rumbling to a stop nearby, its headlights off.

In less than a minute, the Kazakhs were examining a military rifle, and the leader of the Guatemalans was demanding that the Kazakhs pay their money. Just as the money was exchanged, searchlights positioned on the building surrounding the site flared to life.

Rene called out in an authoritative voice, "United States agents. Put your hands in the air and lay flat on your stomachs. You with the weapon. Lay it down slowly first."

The Guatemalans and Kazakhs were slow to respond, instead looking around for the source of the voice, their weapons at the ready. When one of the NSA sharpshooters pinged a bullet off the wall above their heads, the men finally complied. The team of Agency operatives moved in to make their arrests, several NSA agents coming to their assistance.

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Matt tried in vain to remember who had said that they hoped the debriefings would be short, but he was distracted by yet another question as the debriefing team took down their notes. He glanced at the watch on his wrist. It was going on ten o'clock. He still had time to get home to Sarah and take her to the doctor, but only if the debriefings ended soon.

Sergey's fate was still up in the air. It was imperative that the debriefings be thorough and all evidence be properly logged, or he would be deported along with his "team." Matt had heard that the other Kazakhs suspected Sergey of being the leak that caused their arrest and there was no doubt they would be ready for revenge. For now, Sergey would be held in a safe house under lock and key.

Sighing, Matt sat back and listened as yet another question was directed his way.

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A persistent buzzing accosted Sarah's ears. Her head was throbbing. She needed to stop the sound. Opening her eyes, she knew that it was her phone's alarm clock, signaling that it was time to get up. Matt would be home in an hour, or Jennifer and Amy would be arriving to take her to the doctor. As much as Sarah loved her sisters-in-law, she could not help but wish it would be Matt.

As she reached for the phone, she was assailed by painful cramping low in her abdomen. Now her head was pounding. Breathing through the cramp as the alarm continued its persistent buzzing, she vowed that she would change the alarm sound on her phone as soon as she had the chance. When the cramp eased, she fumbled for her phone and turned off the alarm. _Oh. I missed a call from Mom._

Now that her mind was fully awake, Sarah noticed that something else was wrong. She slid carefully to the edge of the bed and flipped back the covers. Just as she rose to her feet, another cramp came with a vengeance, and now Sarah could feel something wet between her legs. Bent at the waist, clutching her lower abdomen, she staggered to the bathroom.

Finally drawing enough courage to look down, Sarah cried out in alarm. She stood frozen for a moment, willing herself to be wrong, but it was abundantly clear that her instincts about the baby had been correct. Forcing herself to take the last few steps to the shower, Sarah stripped off her clothes as the water began to warm. Removing her pajama bottoms and panties last, once again she was overwhelmed with horror at the sight. There was so much blood. Sinking to a crouching position, she sobbed as she tried to rinse away the horrible evidence that something was terribly wrong with their baby.

The exertion of cleaning herself left Sarah feeling faint. She knew she needed to get to the phone, but the bleeding would not stop. She could not put Matt through the sight of that much blood, knowing what it meant. _You can do this, Sarah. Stand up slowly, grab some towels…_

As Sarah attempted to rise, her vision turned gray around the edges and another cramp came. Was it her imagination, or had she heard her cell phone ringing over the beating rain of the shower? She stopped and waited until the contraction passed, and then tried to stand again.

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In the bullpen, Matt held his phone to his ear and tried Sarah's number for the third time. Still no answer. He imagined she was in the shower and could not hear her phone ringing. If he left now, there would be just enough time to get home, help Sarah get out the door if she was not feeling well, and drive to the doctor's office. As he turned back to his desk so he could pack up and go home, he came face to face with Richard Wong.

"Please give my regards to Sarah. I hope she's feeling better quickly."

Matt had a good eye for reading people, and he saw right through Richard Wong's demeanor. Matt was worried about Sarah and not in the mood to beat around the bush. Clearly Wong had a burr in his saddle. He knew there was probably a scowl on his own face as he challenged, "Is there a problem, Richard? I need to get home."

"No, no trouble. But you know what they say, 'Ninety percent of life is just showing up.'"

Matt thought he might see red, but just then Rene appeared at his side. "Yeah, and the other ten percent is knowing how to work with people, Wong. You might try taking some interpersonal skills classes."

Now Matt was steering Rene out of the bullpen and away from trouble. He hissed, "You aren't helping Sarah if you antagonize him."

"I'm only speaking true words, man. That guy doesn't deserve to manage people."

Since he was not in the mood to think about Richard Wong, Matt tried Sarah's cell phone number again.

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Amanda let the phone ring, hoping Sarah would pick up before it went to voicemail again. She had called twice that day already: once when Sarah would have been driving to work, and once again late morning, when Sarah was likely to be out of her training class.

Not wishing to worry Lee, she had slipped into the hallway outside Emily's room to make the call. Now she felt a familiar hand on her back.

"Still no answer?"

"What do you mean?"

"You've been trying to call Sarah."

Lee's tone was matter-of-fact, but Amanda was nonplussed. She thought she had been doing a good job of keeping her concerns to herself. "I'm not going to try to figure out how you knew I was calling Sarah. But yes, there's still no answer."

"I wasn't trying to spy on you, Amanda, but I was wondering why our daughter hadn't called us. I know you were wondering the same thing."

"You are a perceptive man."

"That's what they pay me the big bucks for. You know you married a spy." He pulled her close, but Amanda knew that Lee was not truly in the mood for their usual teasing. She kissed his cheek and hugged him back before they turned to go into Emily's room once again.

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"Sarah?" Matt and Rene shook the rain off of their jackets as they came in the front door of the townhouse. There was not much time to spare. If they did not leave in the next five or ten minutes, they would be late. Matt turned to Rene. "Really, you don't have to stay. Patti is probably waiting for you."

"It's okay, man. She'll want to know how Sarah is doing, too." Rene glanced out the window at the thunderstorm. "Besides, it's raining cats and dogs out there." Just then a flash lit the room above them and a tremendous boom shook the townhouse.

As they neared the top of the stairs leading to the living room, Matt thought he heard water running. It was the shower upstairs. "Huh. She's still in the shower. Did she forget what time the appointment was, or lose track of time?"

"I hear the rain, man."

Shaking his head, Matt continued up the stairs to the bedroom. "I know it's the shower I hear."

Matt jogged the rest of the way up, while Rene stayed in the living room. He stepped over to the window to look outside at the storm, but he jumped when Matt hollered from upstairs.

"Oh, God! Sarah!" There was a pause. "Rene! Call 9-1-1!"

Rene was pulling out his cell phone as he ran up the flight of stairs, stopping in the doorway of the master bedroom. His kept his voice cool, for his partner's sake. "Tell me what's going on, Matt."

Matt's reply was anguished. "She's lost a lot of blood. It's the baby."

In the bathroom, just out of sight of Rene, Matt was frantically trying to help his wife. Coming to the open door of the bathroom, he had been shocked to find her slumped against the wall of the shower, cold water running over her. As he reached in to shut off the water, he had noticed bloody pajamas lying in a wet puddle in the corner of the shower, out of the stream of water. He could see that Sarah was still bleeding heavily. _Oh, God! Not the baby. Not Sarah. Please, Lord!_

"Cold." Over the quiet whirr of the bathroom fan and the noisier storm outside, Matt could just make out Sarah's voice. It was nearly a whisper.

"I'm here, sweetie. We'll get you warm." He reached into the linen cabinet and grabbed several towels, wrapping a large one around Sarah as he pulled her from the shower. She was deadweight as he struggled to get her out of the stall without hurting her. Despite his efforts, she cried out in pain.

"You shouldn't see me like this," Sarah whimpered.

"It's just me, sweetie. It's okay. I'm going to cover you up. Rene can't see you." Matt was doing his best to sound soothing, but he was not sure he had succeeded. He wrapped Sarah in the towels and began massaging her vigorously in an attempt to warm her. But she was unconscious again—her body was limp and unresponsive. He had to force down the feelings of panic that wanted to bubble up inside of him. "Rene! What's the ETA of the ambulance?"

Rene's voice came from just outside the doorway. "Remember all those sirens we heard on the way over? There's a pile up on the parkway—probably because of the storm. We'll be lucky if it's a half an hour. I told them I'd drive you. I'm using NEST authorization. The emergency room is going to be crazy."

"Don't violate any procedures. I'll take her in my car."

"I'll drive you both. You'd get in an accident in your frame of mind."

"Get me some of my sweats. I can't take her outside wrapped in towels."

Rene's face appeared in the doorway. "Where?"

"Bottom drawer of the dresser on the right."

Matt continued to rub Sarah down with the towels, listening to Rene open and close a couple of drawers. He reappeared in the doorway and tossed the sweats to Matt. Next came a clean shirt to replace the one Matt was wearing. It was soaked through from the shower.

Dressing an unconscious woman was difficult. Eventually Matt was able to work his large clothes onto her slender body, using a towel as a sort of bandage. He called to Rene again. "Get the blanket off the bed—there's a throw—probably buried under the comforter—at the foot of the bed."

Soon, with Rene's help, Matt was carrying Sarah down the stairs and out of the townhouse. Covered with the throw, she was still unconscious, her head resting heavily against Matt's shoulder.

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It was cold. Terribly cold. Why did she go out in the rain with no raincoat? Right now she felt as if she would never be warm again. The water had been warm at first, almost soothing, but it was not enough to take away the terrible pain low in her abdomen. Oh, she wanted Matt. He would come for her. He always did. But her parents would know just what to say to make her feel better. It was comforting to think about her father. _Daddy is gruff with other people sometimes, but he isn't with me. He'll give me a hug and let me cuddle up next to him on the couch so we can watch one of our favorite movies together. I'm so cold._

Sarah made a feeble attempt to move, but her arms were restricted. Someone was holding her close, and it felt as if they were in a car—not the shower. She tried to move again.

"Just relax, sweetie. I've got you. We need to keep the blanket wrapped around you."

A familiar voice jerked her out of the half-dream. It was Matt. He had come for her. But that meant he knew. _Oh no!_ She tried to sob, but the tears wouldn't come. "It hurts so much," she whimpered.

"We're almost to the hospital."

"I'm so sorry." Sarah was not sure Matt could even hear her. It was hard to talk. She could not stay awake.

Now he was whispering in her ear, his voice soft and soothing, but desperate, too. He sounded sad. "Stay with me, Sarah. I love you."

She just wanted to sleep. But she forced herself to say the words. "Sparrow. Love you."


	9. Chapter 9

Written by Scooplet

Concept by Cheryl and Scooplet

Scarecrow and Mrs. King characters are the property of Shoot the Moon Productions and Warner Bros. Television. No copyright infringement intended. Not for commercial use. Sarah Stetson and Matt Granger are my creation, however, so please respect my right to claim ownership of them—I do not authorize permission to use them in stories not authored by me.

I Know He Watches Me, Part Two

Chapter Nine

Matt thought he heard Sarah, but her voice was so soft, he could barely make out the words over the sound of rain slashing the car windows. Did she say, "Sparrow"? He had been able to make out, "Love you." But now she had drifted away again. He was not sure which was better—Sarah unconscious and oblivious to the pain, or awake and miserable. She had been on the verge of tears, her voice plaintive and weak. He should have been there with her that morning. Instead she had had to experience a miscarriage alone. And there had been so much blood. Her skin was so pale it was almost blue around her mouth. Her hands did hold a bluish tinge. He bundled them in the blanket and tried to rub her limbs, but with Rene taking the turns and curves so quickly, he was forced to just hang on tight so Sarah's head would not loll around.

"Almost there, man. She'll be in good hands soon."

Matt thought he had held up pretty well until that point. It had been just minutes from the time he found Sarah until they were out the door, and he had not panicked. Perhaps this was an advantage of having served in a war zone. But now the tears threatened to come. He had seen violence and bloodshed, but nothing compared to finding Sarah—his beloved wife—like that. What if he had not found her? His mind could not go there. A sob heaved up involuntarily, and he swallowed it, staring out the window blindly at the rain coursing down the car's windows until he could gain control once again. If Sarah woke up again, he needed to be strong for her. _Please, Lord. Don't take my wife._

A minute or two later they were pulling up to the emergency room's covered entrance, and Rene was helping Matt lift Sarah out of the car. Rene ran ahead of his partner, clearing a path in the crowded waiting room as Matt carried Sarah into the hospital.

Despite the chaos of families there for the accident victims and other patients, Rene managed to flag down a nurse, who guided Matt to a gurney just inside the treatment area. After setting her down, Matt could not let go of Sarah. He bent over her, stroking her hair and keeping an arm around her in a vain effort to warm her. Rene disappeared for a minute or two as the nurse asked Matt about Sarah. She was hurriedly making notes on a chart and signaling to another member of the hospital staff when Rene reappeared with two familiar faces.

"Thanks so much Kelsey. We'll take it from here. There's an ambulance pulling up in the bay." Rhoda Heird was already checking Sarah's pulse as Heidi Lindsay took the chart from the nurse.

"This isn't Agency business, Dr. Heird." Matt furrowed his brow at Rene, who was running off to park his car.

"At the moment we don't have any federal agents needing urgent care other than Sarah." Dr. Heird's voice was rushed as she and Heidi took Sarah to the NEST section of the ER. They were moving quickly, so Matt had to jog along to keep up.

Just as they reached the doors, Heidi placed a gentle hand on Matt's arm. "We've got her, Matt. We need to ask you to wait out here."

Matt said nothing as Heidi offered Matt a compassionate look and rushed inside to assist Dr. Heird with Sarah.

Dr. Heird had wheeled Sarah into an open treatment area and was barking instructions at two other nurses tending to Sarah, who already had an oxygen mask on her face. Heidi grabbed two I.V. bags from a shelf as well as some other supplies. He watched as she rushed to Sarah's side. With the curtain only partially blocking his view, he could tell one of the other nurses was stripping the blanket and sweats from Sarah as the other seemed to be taking vital signs. He thought he heard one of them call out a blood pressure of seventy over thirty, but that could not be right. It was so low.

"Matt."

He ignored Rene's voice as he stood, mesmerized, watching the team of medical personnel working on his wife. He had never wanted to be by her side more than he did at that moment, if only just to hold onto her hand.

"C'mon, Matt." Rene's voice was more persistent now, but Matt still did not move until Rene forced himself between Matt and the windowed door. "Let's go sit down, man. We need to make a few phone calls."

Wanting to say that he needed to stay with Sarah, Matt knew that Rene was right. He let Rene guide him to the small waiting room reserved for NEST personnel and their families. Rene took Matt's jacket and hung it and his own on a coat rack near the door.

"Who do you want to call first? You don't have to cancel the appointment—I told one of the people at the NEST desk about it. They're already notifying Sarah's doctor."

Matt tried to focus. He could help Sarah by letting the others who loved her know. Lee and Amanda should be called. But they were in England, tending to a dying friend. It was just coming up on evening. He could call them. He pulled out his phone and found Lee's phone number. But what would he say? He left his daughter at home to miscarry all by herself? That she was unconscious in the ER?

He stared at his phone for another moment and after playing with the touchscreen, placed a call.

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Sergey Popovich was wrung out, but the relief he had felt since his arrest that morning was still palpable. Sleep pulled at his eyelids as he hunched over the table in the interrogation room. He had been there for hours. When might he see Matt Granger? He needed to thank the man for saving his life and perhaps his country yet again.

There had been weeks of sleepless nights and worry, the threat to his life and the lives of his family members hanging over his head, yet in the blink of an eye it had all come to an end. The blonde woman—Chief Beaman, was it?—had assured him more than once that the case was airtight. There were two recordings with the voices of the arms dealers and his Kazakh compatriots talking about money and weapons. The weapons in the truck were now in the hands of the U.S. government. Ironic, since they had started out as U.S. government firearms, but had been sold as surplus in Mexico. Just like the weapons rusting at the bottom of the Black Sea. Had it been less than a year since the American agents had helped them?

Sergey's cooperation was what was keeping him out of jail. He would be allowed to go free—or at least he would be as free as one could be in a safe house. And Chief Beaman had talked about a state department representative working out asylum for Sergey, his sister, and her husband.

The door opened, and a weary-looking man, perhaps in his late thirties, stepped into the room. His movements were awkward as he managed the door with two coffees in his hands. He handed one to Sergey.

"Thank God for the invention of the lever door handle, right?" He arched an eyebrow at Sergey, a look of amusement in his eyes. As if to make certain the Kazakh man understood his meaning, the Agency employee jiggled the door handle with his elbow and grinned a little before he sat down at the table.

This man appeared to be friend, not foe, unlike the other agents.

"Thank you for the coffee."

"Look, I know it's been a long morning. I apologize for the rough treatment you've had. You understand that you were part of an arms deal between two foreign countries on American soil, right under the nose of the U.S. government."

Sergey started to say something, but thought better of it when the man held up his hand.

"You don't have to defend yourself. I'm just saying this whole thing was pretty bold. I think the Guatemalans were thumbing their noses at us." He made a gesture with his thumb on his nose, and Sergey nodded.

"If I might…" He hesitated. "You seem like a kind man. I was hoping to talk with Matt Granger."

The man's expression changed. Sergey had trouble reading him, but he almost seemed sad. "Agent Granger had other business to take care of. He won't be back today. We are taking you to a safe house for now. He might see you or call you in a day or two."

"Oh." Sergey looked down at the desk. His family was responsible for that man almost dying once. He knew that his fellow Kazakhs or the Guatemalans would have fired their guns on the Americans if they had had the chance. Matt Granger had possibly risked his life again to help Sergey and his country. How could he repay that debt?

"To be perfectly honest, he may not get to talk to you for more than a minute and he recorded your conversation with him the other day. Our attorneys don't want us to have any personal conversations with you. I'm just here to tell you about the safe house."

Sergey eyed the man's badge. Used to the Cyrillic of the Kazakh language, he had some trouble reading the Roman alphabet, but he made out the letters. Phillip King. "If Agent Granger cannot talk to me, maybe the Stetsons?"

This time Phillip masked his reaction. "We'll have to see, Mr. Popovich." He brought his seat forward so he could lean his own elbows on the table. "For now, I need to go over the rules of the safe house with you. You cannot have a cell phone. We will supervise all calls, but we will bring a phone to you."

"How is this possible? Are not phones tracked?"

"Don't worry about that—we have a way to avoid that issue. You can call your family when we get you there, but you will not be able to make calls regularly." He shifted in his seat as his cell phone vibrated. "Of course you cannot leave the safe house under any circumstances…" He pulled the phone from his pocket. "Excuse me. I need to get this."

Phillip stepped into the hall. "Hey, Matt. No worries about Popovich. I'm handling him personally."

"Okay."

Sensing hesitation on Matt's end, Phillip guessed that was not why Matt called. His brother-in-law soon filled him in.

"Phillip, it's Sarah. We're at the hospital. She's in bad shape. I found her collapsed at home."

His stomach tightening, Phillip paused for a second before replying. He had never heard Matt sound like this before. "How bad?"

"She lost a lot of blood." Phillip thought he heard a catch in Matt's voice.

Immediately Phillip knew that Sarah had lost the baby. Not wanting to make him say the words, Phillip jumped in. "God, I'm sorry. So sorry. Listen. I'll find someone to take my place here and come right over. Do my folks know?"

"No. I tried to call them, but I just couldn't get up the nerve. I decided to call you first."

Phillip wondered at his remark about 'get up the nerve,' but filed that thought away for later. He needed to know what the doctors were doing with Sarah. "I'll call my parents for you. Where is Sarah right now?"

"We just got to the ER. You know—Parker General. There was an accident on the parkway, so the ambulance was delayed and the place here is a zoo. Rene got us into the NEST section. He drove us over."

"Good. I'll be on my way in less than ten."

"Thanks, Phillip. I can call Jamie…"

"Don't bother. I'll bring him with me. We'll be there soon, okay?"

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Matt ran a hand through his hair and got up to pace. He knew he should be the one calling Lee and Amanda. But his mind was a jumble of anxious thoughts. He was barely holding it together.

Rene called his name twice before Matt registered that a doctor, holding a clipboard, was walking their way. It was Dr. Heird. If she was out here, who was with Sarah? _Oh God, no._ He clenched his fists. _Don't think the worst._

Laying a hand on Matt's arm, Dr. Heird guided him to the chairs as she spoke. "Dr. Elliott took Sarah up to surgery."

"Dr. Elliott is here?"

"We called Dr. Elliott's office right after Sarah arrived. Dr. Elliott was in the car, not far from here, and was able to get back in just a matter of minutes. Sarah seems to have luck on her side."

Matt knew it was not luck. Sarah had said it herself when she tried to remind him of the sparrow verse. _God watches over even the sparrows_. It was a small comfort that Sarah been the one to point that out today. "Then she's okay? But why is she going to surgery?"

"I'm afraid it's the only way we can stabilize her. That's why it was so helpful that Dr. Elliott could be here quickly. She has had some similar cases before, and will talk to you about her treatment plan, but for now, she is performing an emergency D and C so she can stop the hemorrhaging."

Matt processed this information. He had heard the term D and C before and knew what it meant: dilation and curettage. For Sarah, it was better than a hysterectomy, but for the baby it meant... The sense of loss overwhelmed him. "D and C. Is the baby gone, then? Are you sure?" Running his hands along his thighs, he willed them to keep from shaking. He was vaguely conscious of Rene's hand on his shoulder.

"There was no heartbeat, Matt. I'm so sorry. We ran an ultrasound. The bleeding is from a partially dislodged placenta—and possibly some kind of blockage. There was also the beginning of an infection, but we'll know more after Dr. Elliott finishes the surgery. Normally, when a woman miscarries, she delivers the baby and the placenta on her own. We need to get in there and help things along—make sure there is nothing to cause an infection or further bleeding."

Feeling as if he was choking on the words, Matt struggled to get them out. "Will Sarah be able to get pregnant again?"

"There's a very good chance she'll be able to carry a baby safely in the future. As long as we can stabilize her and stop the bleeding…" Dr. Heird's words drifted off, as if she had been about to say something else and thought better of it. "We need you to sign this form."

Absent-mindedly taking the clipboard and signing his name as the doctor pointed to the signature line, Matt was still focused on the prognosis he had just heard. Matt knew the terminology doctors used. "Very good" was not the same as "excellent." Taking a deep breath, Matt realized that he needed to pray. He had done very little of that since he had found Sarah. "When you say _we_ , are you going to assist?"

"I'll work on helping stabilize Sarah, since I've treated her before and have experience with trauma. She's in shock, although we have been giving her I.V. fluids. We've already run a type and crossmatch, so I would like your permission to give her blood products. We need to bring up her blood pressure and her counts are very low."

Matt thought of the stories he had heard of people catching diseases from tainted blood. He knew Sarah was concerned about that issue. "I'm kind of uncomfortable with giving her someone else's blood, but…"

"She's lost too much, Matt. We can't afford to allow her to make it up on her own. But there is a catch. She has a rare blood type. That's one reason why I'm here talking to you. We would have sent a nurse out several minutes ago to ask your permission, but we don't have Sarah's blood type here at the hospital. With the accident today, we've run out."

"Has Sarah regained consciousness? Did she wake up?"

"No. But it's just as well. With the loss of blood, it's too risky to fully anesthetize her. She was restless, so we gave her something for pain. We'll use a spinal epidural—anesthetize her from the waist down—for the procedure. She won't feel any pain." Dr. Heird rose. "I need to get back there and check on the blood situation. We expect the blood bank should have some here shortly." Dr. Heird gestured to the nurse whom Matt had not seen until that moment. "Heidi will help you with those forms."

"Blood bank? Is Sarah needing blood?"

Matt looked up at the sound of Phillip's voice. He and Jamie had gotten here faster than he had expected. Matt rose from the chair.

Jamie came to Matt's side, placing an arm around Matt's shoulders briefly.

Matt felt bolstered by the small gesture. He had the presence of mind to introduce Jamie and Phillip. "Dr. Heird, these are Sarah's brothers."

"Brothers?" Dr. Heird stepped up to the Kings, her voice urgent. "Then are you aware that your sister has a rare blood type? Does anyone in the family have the same blood type?"

Phillip was quick to respond. "Actually, we're her half-brothers, when it comes down to genetics. But yeah, Sarah and I got our blood type from our mom. Jamie doesn't have the same type. Does Sarah need blood?"

"We were hoping to give her two units to start."

"I'm in good health—I've given that much before. Show me where to go."

"Listen, I need to rush up to surgery." She motioned to the nurse. "Heidi will need to screen you—it's policy." Dr. Heird turned on her heel abruptly and rushed from the room.

After having Matt sign another form, Heidi wasted no time, shooting questions at Phillip as she escorted him into the NEST section of the E.R. "We need to know a little history first. Any current conditions? Have you been out of the country?" Her voice faded as the doors closed behind them.

Rene regarded Jamie for a moment as he sat down with Matt. "I'm going to find a vending machine. You okay with water, Matt?"

"I don't need anything."

"I'm getting you a water anyway. And a sandwich, while I'm at it. You skipped lunch."

"You sound like my mom," Matt sighed.

"Good. I guess. I've seen how much you eat in a day. You're running on beyond empty. You want anything Jamie?"

"Water would be great, thanks." Jamie reached for his back pocket to grab his wallet, but Rene waved him off and headed down the hall.

Jamie turned to Matt. "Phillip called Lee right after we left the Agency."

"I should have called your parents myself." Matt leaned forward, his elbows on his knees, and scrubbed his face with his hands. "I never should have left Sarah alone this morning. She wouldn't be here if it weren't for me. I got her pregnant in the first place, and I knew for sure something was off with the baby when she was having problems yesterday—"

Jamie held up his hand. "Stop. You told Phillip and me both last night and this morning that she was feeling better. We know you wouldn't have left her alone if she hadn't insisted you come in. You've got a thing about being her protector. It's great, most of the time, but don't let it give you a head case." Jamie watched Matt process his words. "And if I'm any authority on pregnancy, it takes two for that. Besides, Sarah said she forgot her pills. She told us all that—she certainly doesn't blame you for the baby being a surprise."

"The baby's gone." Matt covered his face with his hands again.

Although Matt could not see his face, Jamie nodded grimly as he placed a hand on Matt's shoulder. "I'm so sorry. I can't imagine how you feel."

"He—or she—was a surprise, but we were excited. Oh God. What if I lose Sarah, too?" _How will I ever face your family again?_ he thought.

"Sarah is going to be okay. She comes from a long line—two lines—of fighters."

"Was Lee upset that I didn't call? What about Amanda?"

Jamie seemed unfazed by Matt's insecurity. "Lee wasn't upset with you. This is a lot to go through. He's worried about Sarah, but he asked how you were doing, too." Jamie pulled out his phone. "Jennifer and Amy are coming over—a friend is picking up the kids. Can I call anyone else for you? Your pastor? Have you called your folks?"

"I need to call my parents. I was going to call Pastor Carlson, too."

"Listen, you have to delegate stuff. Let me call your pastor. Give me the number, and then call your folks. I'll go out in the hall so you can talk privately."

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His stomach tied in a knot, Lee's first thought was to talk things through with Amanda. She was with Emily, but this could not wait.

He signaled her from the doorway and she rose from the chair where she had been holding vigil. It seemed to take forever for her to make the short trip to the doorway.

"It's Sarah. She had to go to the hospital. Something about the baby."

Amanda wanted details, but Lee held up a hand to stop her. "I don't know much. I've been waiting in the hall, hoping to hear from Phillip or Jamie, but they were still on the way to the hospital when Phillip called."

"We need to be there, if she's losing the baby."

Lee was torn. How could they tell Emily goodbye like this? This was all wrong. He wished he could be in two places at once.

His phone buzzed and they stepped into the hallway and closed the door to Emily's room. He turned on the speaker as he answered the call so Amanda could hear. "Stetson."

"Lee, it's Jamie. Matt wanted to call you, but he's pretty much a wreck right now, and I told him to call his folks."

"Jamie." Lee forced himself to be patient. Matt always did everything the right way. It was probably killing him that he was not making this call. Jamie would want to make sure Lee knew that. "What's going on with Sarah?"

"She's in surgery. She's lost the baby, and she's lost a lot of blood. Phillip is giving a couple of units right now. They might need more."

Lee swore softly. "A miscarriage. She's in danger?"

"They haven't stabilized her yet. They're trying to stop the bleeding."

Amanda clutched at his arm. "Lee, we have to go."

He nodded at his wife, guessing from her expression that she was as worried as he was. It was bad enough losing the baby, but what if? He did not let his mind go there. Not Sarah. She had been through enough. They had all been through enough.

"Mom? Lee? They have good doctors here, but she's going to need you. Matt needs you guys, too. He blames himself."

"That kid takes too much on his shoulders. I love him for it, but…"

"I know, I know. I already gave him the lecture, but it's not easy to convince him."

"I'm pretty sure Kirby has tried." He looked at Amanda. He wanted to put his arms around her—not just for her sake, but for his, too. His thoughts went back to the possibility of losing their daughter. "Listen, I'll let you know when we'll be getting there. I'm going to get on it right away."

As Lee ended the call, he realized that Margaret was standing there. "You heard?"

"I'm terribly sorry. I did not mean to listen in. I'm so sorry about Sarah and the baby."

"Thanks…" Running a hand through his hair, Lee fought for control. Now that he was off the phone, the full impact of what was happening to Sarah had affected him. His gut clenched and he fought to stay focused as Margaret replied.

"I'd like to help. You go in and talk to Emily. Wake her up if you need to. Say your goodbyes. I'll get a flight."

Amanda still clutched Lee's arm. "Are there any flights to D.C. at night? It's going well into evening…"

In an uncharacteristic move, Margaret placed a hand on Amanda's shoulder. "You might have trouble getting a commercial flight, but we have some connections. Please don't give the flight another thought. I'll have a maid pack your things."

Back inside the room, Amanda and Lee approached the bed. Amanda let Lee go first. He sat down in the chair he had been using so Emily could look in his face.

"Emily."

"Hello, Lee." Emily struggled to keep her eyes open. It was only the early evening, but she tired easily. "You're still here. You said all those lovely things about me."

Lee's smile was bittersweet. "They were true. You've been good to me and Amanda. Always teaching us something new, cheering us on, helping us to do our best. You were sweet to the children."

Her voice was low and slurred, but Lee and Amanda could make it out. "You make me sound like your mother. I could never be Jennifer."

"You were a good friend to her by mentoring me. I'll never forget you, Emily."

"We love you, Emily." Lee heard the catch in Amanda's voice. The tell-tale squeak had always revealed when she was distressed.

Emily drew a deep breath, as if she had something important to say. "Well, I'm not gone yet. Your family needs you. Sarah needs you. Take care of her and her Matthew."

Amanda furrowed her brow and glanced at Lee before replying. They had not told Emily why they had come back in the room. "We will, Emily. Goodbye, dear lady." She placed a light kiss on Emily's cheek, bringing a smile to the withered face.

Lee leaned over and kissed Emily on the forehead. "Goodbye, Emily."

"Goodbye, Lee. We'll see each other again. Don't worry." Sighing heavily, Emily closed her eyes.

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"Hi, Mom?"

"Matt! To what do I owe the pleasure of a call during the middle of the day?" Matt momentarily warmed to the sound of his mother's bright voice. He imagined himself there with her in the kitchen—at least that's where he guessed she was at this time of day. It was lunchtime or shortly after there.

"Mom. Something has happened." Matt sat hunched over, his elbows on his knees again. He ran his free hand over his face.

"Is it Sarah?" He could hear the motherly concern in her voice.

"Yeah. Mom, she miscarried. We lost the baby." This time a sob did escape. It almost felt like a release. But there were so many more where that came from.

Matt heard his mother's sharp intake of breath. "Oh, honey. I'm so sorry."

"There was a lot of blood. She's in surgery."

"Are they doing a D and C?"

Matt was grateful his mother was a nurse. He would not need to explain much. "Yeah. Phillip is giving blood for her. She has some rare blood type. I never even knew. No one ever said."

"Maybe you missed the conversation and they thought you knew. That's good that they can give her blood."

Matt held the phone to his ear, knowing his mother was waiting for him to speak again, but he had no idea what to say next. Then the words just bubbled out of him. "I almost lost Sarah, Mom. I might still lose her."

"Do you want me to come, Matt? I'll get on a plane this evening. I can be there tonight."

"Oh, Mom. You don't have to drop everything."

"It's what parents do. If you don't want me there, I won't intrude."

"It would not be intruding. Not at all." Matt willed his mother to understand what he could not voice. _I need you here with me, Mom._

"I'll text you in a little while with my plans. Be sure to let me know how Sarah is doing."

"Thanks, Mom." Matt felt as if some of the weight that had been bearing down on him had lifted. He sat up a little in his seat.

"Your father has been listening in. He was working from home today. I'm putting you on speakerphone. He wants us to pray together."

"That would be nice." Matt cringed at what seemed a lame response. Sarah needed their prayers.

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Matt was still hunched over, his forehead resting on his hand, and his eyes closed in prayer when he felt someone touch his shoulder. Looking up, he saw Pastor Carlson standing there. Jamie had been in and out of the small, private waiting area, as had Jennifer and Amy. Rene had brought the sandwich and water bottle, but Matt could not eat. Everyone had been kind, but all of the people and the accompanying conversations over the last hour or two were getting to be too much. His nerves were raw.

"Pastor Carlson. Thanks for coming."

He glanced around. He and his pastor were the only people in the room. His eyes went back to the pastor, and saw compassion on his face. Matt knew the middle-aged man and his wife had four children at home, but he wondered if they had ever experienced a miscarriage. Was God punishing him and Sarah? Matt wanted to ask, but had no idea how to do it. It was too personal, too painful.

"Would you like me to pray with you, Matt?"

"You heard about Sarah? That she's in surgery?"

"Jamie told me everything."

"Phillip was in there giving blood. I should check on him. It's been a while."

"He has plenty of people to check on him."

Matt considered that and ran a hand through his hair. "I've been praying, hoping it will help."

"God always hears our prayers, Matt. You know that." Pastor Carlson handed Matt the water bottle that still sat untouched on a nearby table and gestured for him to drink some. "You need to take care of yourself for Sarah's sake."

"It's my fault she's here. I should have been home with her. She convinced me to go into work today, but I should have stayed with her."

"I heard she was feeling better. You couldn't have known."

"You don't know all the details, Pastor Carlson."

Taken aback by Matt's uncharacteristically bitter tone, the pastor considered his words. "What I do know about you is that you take on a lot of responsibility for Sarah's safety and well-being. You haven't told me all the details, and I shouldn't ask for them, but I can guess why."

Matt's head came up in surprise. "Well, I am in government work. Some of our productions are not for the public to know about."

Pastor Carlson smiled knowingly. "Well, whatever you call your work, I have guessed there is a lot of stress involved. Don't take on more than you already have. You are a good husband, but you can't be with your wife all the time. Sarah knows that, and she's a strong person. She doesn't expect you to be there all the time."

Matt was staring at the floor again. "Can we pray?"

The pastor looked a little startled to have his words brushed off so easily. Matt had come to him for advice in the past, and he been the better for it. But this time it was different. It would be hard to convince Matt that he was not responsible for Sarah's miscarriage.

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No longer alone in the waiting room, Matt played with the cap on his empty water bottle. Except for the occasional murmured words, no one spoke. It was as if everyone sensed Matt's need to be alone in his thoughts. The others had come and gone earlier, but as the activity level of the hospital had become even busier than earlier that day, they had been forced to join him in the waiting area.

Finally raising his eyes from the floor, Matt checked the time on the wall clock once again. Was it possible that they had only been at the hospital three hours? It seemed as if it should be midnight, but it was only mid-afternoon. Dr. Heird had come by briefly to say Sarah was out of surgery, and that the bleeding had been stopped. Dr. Elliott would be coming to talk to him once Sarah was stable. But that had been over an hour ago.

Now he saw Dr. Elliott in the hallway, approaching the waiting room. She looked as weary as he felt. Glancing around, she hesitated, and Matt rose from his seat. "Perhaps you'd like to join me in the hall, Mr. Granger?"

Part of Matt wanted to be alone to hear the news, but he knew that would be selfish. And he wanted to remain in the privacy of the waiting room until he could go to Sarah. "These people are all family, and this is our pastor." Matt gestured to Pastor Carlson. "Please tell me what's going on with Sarah."

"Well, as you know, we were able to stop the bleeding, but because of her condition when she arrived," at those words, Matt's gut clenched, "we are having to give her Mr. King's donated blood at a slow rate. We've had Sarah in recovery for over an hour, but it is taking some time for her to bounce back, since her counts were so low. It will be another few hours before we might see an improvement. They are clearing a space upstairs in ICU this afternoon. Sarah will be moved there sometime in the next hour or two."

Matt could only listen numbly as he processed the information.

It was Phillip who asked, "What's the prognosis, then?"

"We may need to give her another unit of blood. While we aren't too concerned yet, we also need to keep an eye on her liver, kidneys, and other organs. Blood loss can damage the organs."

Matt felt his knees buckling, but Rene was right there, easing him into a seat.

Dr. Elliott stepped over to Matt and crouched in front of him. "Sarah is young and in otherwise excellent physical condition. She's shown us more than once that she's a fighter. We have every reason to believe that she will have a full recovery. And given that time to recover, she should be able to carry another baby safely to term."

Matt clung to those words. He had feared that Sarah might never be able to become pregnant again. "When can I see her?"

"She has been in and out of consciousness. Once they have her settled in ICU, I thought it might help her if you came and sat with her—usually we allow spouses to stay the night. We just need to keep her quiet until she stabilizes. There is a waiting area you can use near the ICU." Dr. Elliott reached out and placed a hand on Matt's arm. "Dr. Heird told me how you and your coworker drove Sarah here. If you had not brought Sarah in when you did, and if Sarah's brother had not donated the blood right away, things might have gone very differently. You can be thankful for that." She waited for her words to sink in. "Dr. Heird will be taking over the management of Sarah's treatment. She'll be out in a little while to give you all an update—perhaps at that time Sarah will be ready for visitors. I'll be in touch with Dr. Heird and check on Sarah this evening."

After Dr. Elliott left the waiting area, Matt leaned back in his seat. For the first time since he had found Sarah collapsed in the shower, he felt a glimmer of hope. His eyes met Phillips'. When his brother-in-law had come back into the waiting room an hour earlier, a nurse had accompanied him, keeping a hand on his arm as she guided him to a seat. Matt had been so wrapped up in his own thoughts, he had hardly acknowledged Phillip as he sat with Amy and ate the sandwich Matt had refused earlier. He owed Phillip more than a thank you. If Phillip had not had the same blood type as Sarah's, Sarah might not have survived. He had trouble finding his voice.

"I need to thank you, Phillip, for what you did. Thank you for helping save Sarah's life."

Phillip was quick to brush off Matt's words. "It's the least I can do for my little sister. I can spare some blood. I'm just glad I was in the right place at the right time."

"You feeling okay? I heard you offered to give two units."

"I've done it before. They just gave me a lot of water afterwards and some decent snacks. Plus, I ate your lunch." A small smile formed on his lips, but it quickly faded. "Listen, man. You need to take care of yourself. You won't be any good to Sarah if you don't eat. Rene should be back in a minute. He went to get you one of those burgers you like."

Glancing around the room, Matt realized for the first time that Rene was not there. And as if on cue, his partner appeared in the doorway carrying a bag and a drink holder with two cups in it. Stepping over to Matt, he reached into the bag. "Please tell me you're hungry, bro. I've never seen you skip a meal. I got a burger and fries for each of us."

After eating a few bites of the hamburger, Matt realized how hungry he had become. He also realized something else. Looking around the room, he struggled once again to get the words out. "I can't tell you all how much it means to me that you've been so supportive. I know you're here for Sarah, but you've been a great help to me. I appreciate it."

"We're here for both of you, Matt." Jamie's voice was quiet, but forceful. "We plan to stay until you kick us out."

Matt smiled at Jamie's words, but he did not answer. He was too emotional to say anything.


	10. Chapter 10

Written by Scooplet

Concept by Cheryl and Scooplet

Scarecrow and Mrs. King characters are the property of Shoot the Moon Productions and Warner Bros. Television. No copyright infringement intended. Not for commercial use. Sarah Stetson and Matt Granger are my creation, however, so please respect my right to claim ownership of them—I do not authorize permission to use them in stories not authored by me.

I Know He Watches Me, Part Two

Chapter Ten

Two hours later Matt was walking with Dr. Heird into the intensive care unit. Monitors beeped softly and the staff spoke in hushed tones, but Matt could sense the buzz of activity as nurses and doctors tended to the patients there.

Dr. Heird stopped at the doorway of one of the glass-fronted rooms. "We have an oxygen mask on her, so she can't talk. But you can hold her hand. She'll know you're there." Dr. Heird stepped over to the desk and sat down at the computer.

The sight of Sarah lying in the hospital bed brought a pang to Matt's chest. His tall, athletic wife looked small and frail. Her skin was still ghostly pale, and as he sat in the chair by her bed, he lifted one of her hands to his cheek. It felt cold, but it was not limp. Sarah stirred slightly, and he adjusted the layers of blankets so her shoulders were covered. Rising from the chair, he leaned over and kissed Sarah's forehead before sitting back down again.

A maze of tubes and wires came from under the blankets and attached to various bags and monitoring equipment. He recognized the intravenous fluids bag and the dark red bag—Phillip's donated blood. This was the last of the blood, and it was nearly empty. Sarah was still so pale. Monitors displayed her vital statistics—Matt was grateful her heartbeat was steady, but he wondered if some of the other numbers might be too low. He prayed this second unit of blood would be enough.

After a few minutes a nurse stepped up to the other side of the bed, checked the bags and equipment and made a note on a chart. When she gently lifted the blankets, Matt held his breath. Was Sarah still bleeding? Dr. Elliott had said the bleeding had stopped. But the nurse calmly made another note on the chart, obviously unperturbed after examining Sarah. She regarded Matt compassionately. "Try talking to her. I think she's awake. She'll be very sleepy, but she can hear you."

Matt leaned toward the bed and spoke softly. "I'm here, Sarah. I'm here, sweetie." He kissed her hand and held it, hoping to warm her a little. "Phillip and Amy and Jamie and Jennifer are here, honey. Rene has been sticking around, too. Pastor Carlson came and prayed for you."

Her eyes opening briefly, Sarah squeezed Matt's hand.

"Mmhmm." Sarah's brow furrowed, but she was too weak to pull at the mask that was preventing her from speaking clearly.

The nurse started to say something, but Matt was already answering Sarah. "Don't try to talk. Just rest, okay?"

Sarah's brow remained furrowed a few moments more as Matt smoothed her hair with his free hand. Gradually the crease in her forehead disappeared and Sarah's grip on Matt's other hand relaxed.

"She's asleep now. That's good. Her body needs to heal." Smiling her encouragement, the nurse moved on to another patient.

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Despite having her earplugs in place and a blanket wrapped around her, Amanda was restless. Lee had been watching her for some time, having given up on sleeping altogether. He imagined he had slept a total of two hours since the aircraft had departed London. Having the gift of being able to sleep even in stressful situations, Amanda had been out for most of the flight. Now he wondered if she was really still asleep, despite the time. It was the wee hours of the morning in London, but late at night in Washington, D.C. In a few hours they would be landing, and shortly after that he hoped to be in a car on the way to see their daughter.

Raising his eyes to heaven, he said a quiet thank you once again for the flight. As usual, Margaret had been her efficient self, pulling strings in places even Lee had not heard of. Aside from a diplomat and his family, who were keeping to themselves in the forward section of the British government-owned jet, it was just he, Amanda, and a small crew on the aircraft. He should be able to sleep, but his busy mind would not let him. He was fretting about Sarah.

Lee knew that miscarriages were not uncommon, even among young women. Jessica might have a little brother or sister if Amy had not had such a difficult miscarriage years ago. He and Amanda had been proud of Phillip—despite his own heartbreak, he had been supportive of his wife. So supportive that even Jamie had commented privately to them about it. After years of somewhat immature and at times cavalier behavior, Phillip had finally grown into a mature, caring man. They all knew the change had slowly been coming, but it had really manifested itself after he and Amy had lost the baby and found they could have no more children.

Although he knew the situation might be different, Lee could not help but worry that Sarah might not be able to become pregnant again. What if the doctors had not been able to stabilize her? What if… He shook himself mentally. _Don't dwell on the what ifs. The doctors will stop the bleeding. In a few years, when Sarah and Matt are really ready to start a family, there will be another grandchild._ His daughter's child. He felt a pang. The words, even in his head, felt hollow.

"A penny for your thoughts, Stetson."

Lee's eyes flew open, and this time Amanda was watching him. She reached over and took his larger hand in her smaller ones, waiting for him to answer.

"I was thinking about how it really stinks that Sarah lost the baby."

Amanda's brown eyes were full with emotion, but she did not reply.

"We won't lose her, Amanda. She's strong. She'll come through, just like she has before."

Amanda attempted to answer in a reassuring tone, but he heard the squeak in her voice. "That's right."

"It was a rough time to get pregnant. But as much as the timing was not good, I was still looking forward to becoming a grandfather again. They were excited about starting a family."

"I know." Amanda stared at their hands.

"I was proud of her. She kept working hard, and didn't complain—at least any time that I heard—ever." Lee looked away, swiping at his cheek.

Amanda only nodded. They were silent for a few minutes, but Lee needed to vent.

"What if she hadn't been at home when it happened? What if Matt hadn't gotten there in time? What if Rene hadn't driven them?"

"What do you always tell me about the what ifs, Scarecrow? We could lose our daughter tonight. But we can't go there. We can't think the worst. Phillip donated blood for her. She's a healthy young woman."

At Amanda's words about possibly losing Sarah, he felt the pang again. Choosing to ignore it, Lee flipped up the arm rest and drew closer to Amanda. The roomy seats allowed them to snuggle up with each other. They had not done so before because the crew had been coming and going, but Lee had not seen anyone in the last hour. He knew Amanda would be asleep again in moments, but he wondered if he could calm himself enough to fall asleep, too.

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If only she could just stay asleep. But the thirst was now unbearable. Someone was holding fast to her hand. Opening her eyes, Sarah was not surprised to find that it was Matt. He could not be comfortable in the hard chair where he sat. His short hair brushed their clasped hands as his head rested heavily on his folded arms. His other hand lay possessively on her thigh, as if he was afraid she would wake up before him.

It was still cold. Matt's warmth helped, but Sarah guessed she must be sick. She could not remember another time when she had felt that weak. Her head hurt. She knew she was in a hospital, so it must be serious. She had had that fever…

Oh no! The memories of earlier that day washed over her relentlessly. The terrible pain in her lower abdomen—it had been so difficult to walk to the bathroom and undress herself. And then there was so much blood. No baby could survive that. But maybe…

Then she remembered. There were doctors and nurses in masks, their heads covered as if they were in a surgical suite. She thought she recognized Dr. Elliott, but her doctor was sitting on a stool, and they were placing Sarah's feet in stirrups. _Please, don't hurt my baby!_ There had been something on Sarah's face. An oxygen mask. It was still there. It had been there earlier, when she had first seen Matt at her bedside. Her brain had been so foggy then, she had not even been sure of where she was. Now the memories were coming back, and things were making a little more sense. She wanted to raise a hand to her face, but both arms were encumbered with tubes. The discomfort increased when she tried to bend the arm farthest from Matt.

Pulling the mask from her face, Sarah tried to call Matt's name. But her mouth was dry, and it was hard to talk.

As if sensing her struggle, Matt's head came up. A shadow of dark blond whiskers covered his jaw and his face was pale and haggard. Sarah had never seen him like this. While she had occasionally seen stubble during his stay in the hospital, he had never looked like this—the cares of the world seemed to weigh on his shoulders. He appeared as if he had not slept in days. What day was it?

"Oh sweetie, please keep the mask on." It hurt to see the look of concern on his face as Matt reached to help her replace the mask.

"Wait," she croaked. "I'm so thirsty. Please, can I have something to drink?"

"Let's see what the nurse says." Matt pressed a button on the bedrail and soon after a nurse appeared in the doorway. Matt stepped over to him and a minute or two later the nurse, a man in his thirties named Craig, was showing Matt how to swab Sarah's mouth with a sponge on a stick. After Craig left the room, Matt moved in and lowering the bedrail, perched on the edge of the bed. As he dipped the sponge in the water and soothed her dry mouth with it, Sarah was struck by her husband's tenderness. Finally, he placed the mask back on her face.

Sarah must have dozed off. When she opened her eyes, the nurse was back in the room, checking the monitor. Turning to Sarah, he smiled at her. "You're awake again." He pulled on some gloves and reached for a package. "The doctor said we can replace the mask with a nasal cannula. It sends the oxygen directly into your nose."

Sarah was alert enough to remember what a nasal cannula was. Now she would be able to ask Matt what was going on. But not while the nurse was checking all of the medical apparatus attached to her body. Craig was asking her questions, such as how she felt and just how badly her head hurt.

Matt was still perched on the edge of the bed facing Sarah when Craig stepped out of the room. He smoothed Sarah's hair, which felt dank and heavy where it was trapped under her head against the pillow. It was still damp from the shower—Matt had found her there. She wanted desperately to talk to Matt, but he was going to tell her what she did not want to hear.

"Sweetie. Try to rest." His hand caressed her cheek. She knew for certain now. His expression told her.

"I lost the baby." The words came out in a sob.

Matt could not pick her up to hold her, but he leaned down to the bed and embraced her, his head next to hers. By the shaking of his body, she could tell he was crying, too. Sarah tried to return the embrace, but he had pinned her arms to her sides. She managed to bring one hand up to rest on his back.

"I'm so sorry. I'm so sorry, Matt."

When he pulled away, Sarah could see Matt's face was streaked with tears. "Oh honey, you don't have to apologize. I'm sorry, too. So sorry you had to be alone, so sorry you had to be in such pain."

"It's not about me, though. It's about the baby. I lost our baby."

"But I almost lost you, too." Matt's voice was rough as he leaned over Sarah to kiss her forehead.

"I'm so sorry." Sarah's voice was a whisper. It was difficult to talk, and so hard to keep her eyes open. Her heart hurt, seeing the pain and anguish on her husband's face. But she was so weak. Her eyes drifted closed.

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Matt was not sure if it was the beeping of a monitor in the room next door or the murmur of voices outside the room, but something had awakened him yet again. He had not really expected to sleep, but sitting there with Sarah, watching her sleep, he had been unable to keep his own eyes open. A hand touched his shoulder, and he raised his head from where it rested against the wall.

Even though she was a nurse who still pulled the occasional shift in a hospital, in his sleepy state of mind Matt thought his mother seemed out of place. She should be wearing her nurse's uniform. Most of his memories of his mother in a hospital setting were of her in uniform, when he had visited her at work. Now she was standing beside him, her hand still on his shoulder, in a sweater and jeans. Her shoulder length blonde hair, usually pinned back when she was working, was hanging loose at her shoulders. But she was not here for work. She was here to be with him.

He had been numb while they were waiting for news of Sarah. Then, except for the brief tears he had shed with his wife, he had been brave for her when she had been awake. Now he felt as if he could no longer keep his emotions in check. It was if a dam had burst.

Instantly Sharon was crouching beside his chair, taking her son in her arms and letting him cry on her shoulder. After a few minutes, Matt pulled away. He spoke in a whisper. "I'm sorry. I didn't even say hello or thank you for coming, Mom. I just lost it."

Sharon whispered back. "I came here for that very reason, hon. It's not good to bottle it in."

"I cried all over Sarah earlier, too."

"I got an update from her nurse. That's good that's she's been awake and talking with you." As Sharon stood, Matt did not miss the critical eye she cast over her daughter-in-law and the room in general. "I washed my hands before I came in here," she said over her shoulder as she stepped to the other side of the bed and looked over the monitoring equipment and items there. Matt found the comment ironic, since his mother was carefully avoiding touching anything. Her mouth drew into a tight line as she eyed the unused cannula taped to Sarah's right arm.

"They gave her the two units from Phillip this afternoon. He wanted to give more, but…"

"That's the limit for donating." Sharon considered Matt for a moment, as if she were debating in her mind. "The nurse told me the doctor wants to give Sarah another unit or two. She's still very weak, and they want to see her move to a regular room by tomorrow. The blood bank delivered several units of Sarah's blood type earlier."

"I hear what you're saying, Mom, but I've heard scary stories about blood. I just don't feel right about giving the okay. She's so young, and we want to get pregnant again someday. What if she got some horrible disease? Besides, she's stable now."

"Thank God for that. I prayed the entire way here." Sharon stepped back over to Matt's side of the bed and took the chair behind him. Placing a hand on his shoulder, she sat silently with Matt as he watched Sarah sleep. Finally, she checked her watch. "I need to go talk with your father. I promised ten minutes, and I'm a little over. He's sitting with Sarah's brothers."

"Dad came, too?"

"Of course. He plans to stay a couple of days—hopefully long enough to see you bring your Sarah home. I thought I'd stay a few days longer, if I'm not in the way, and maybe help Sarah until she's on her feet. That is, if Amanda doesn't mind."

"You would never be in the way, Mom. Lee and Amanda are on a flight from London." Matt checked his phone. "I guess they could be here anytime." He looked over at the nurses' desk. "How did you get in this late, anyway? I'm the only one allowed in here after visiting hours."

"Well, your dad offered to wait until visiting hours, but when I said I had worked as an ICU nurse and was your mother, they let me in. I like this hospital. They have a great visiting policy. We don't let anyone into the ICU this late at night. I think it's hard on the patients and the families to restrict access like that. It's different here. In fact, I'm allowed to stay with Sarah to give you a little respite, if you want to go talk with your father. Lee and Amanda will be allowed in, too."

Matt smiled a little at his mother's ramble, but she had made a good suggestion. He also needed to stretch a little. With his mother watching Sarah, he finally felt as if he could leave her side.

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Sparing himself only a few minutes away from his wife, Matt had kept his conversation with Jamie, Phillip, and his father short. But he and his father had stepped outside the ICU's waiting room to have a moment alone to pray. Just that brief time with his father had renewed his energy somewhat. While their prayers had been focused on Sarah, Matt had included one of thankfulness for his supportive parents.

While Sharon and David had offered to stay in a hotel, Matt handed them his keys and insisted they go to the townhouse and stay in the guest room. They would be back in the morning with a change of clothes for Matt. They talked about bringing him some food, but not caring, Matt could not remember what they had decided.

Jamie and Phillip were camped out on the couches in the ICU waiting area, both insisting on staying until Sarah was completely out of the woods. Matt imagined they also wanted to be there when Amanda and Lee arrived. The others had long since gone home.

Tired of sitting, Matt stood next to the bed and reached out cautiously to stroke Sarah's hair. It still smelled faintly of roses. Her skin was as soft as ever, but it disturbed him to see her so pale. When her eyes opened, he moved his hand away.

Lightly dozing, Sarah had been glad for the warmth of Matt's hand against her cheek and on her hair.

"I'm sorry I woke you, sweetie."

"I was just drifting. I wasn't really asleep. It's hard to sleep here."

"Do you want some water?"

"Please."

"The nurse said you could take tiny sips." He held a cup and straw for her and watched as she touched the straw with her lips. "Just a little."

Sarah took a small sip. As Matt held the cup there for the next swallow, she regarded him closely and frowned.

She tried to take another sip, but Matt pulled the cup away. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing."

He brought the cup back and watched her sip some more. "Sarah, I know when something's wrong. You need to tell me if I should get the nurse."

"I can't tell you what it means to me to know that you're staying with me here, but it looks like you haven't slept in days."

"Don't worry about me." Matt fiddled with the straw. "You've only been here since a little before noon and it's about one in the morning. I can live without some sleep."

"How about food? Have you eaten? You've been up almost twenty-four hours."

"Twenty-two hours. And I ate a hamburger earlier." That hamburger, eaten that afternoon, had been his only real meal of the day. But he did not care. "I'm not hungry."

Sarah took a few more sips, and Matt set the cup aside. He smoothed the hair away from her face. "Please don't worry about me. All I want right now is to be with you—watching you sleep. I'll sleep if you go to sleep, okay?" Matt could see that she was on the verge of tears again.

"I wish we were in our bed, and you were holding me." Sarah knew she was whimpering a little, but she could not stop herself.

He leaned over and kissed her forehead. "I wish we were, too. But you need to be here for now. If you rest, you can probably go to a regular room tomorrow and maybe home after a couple more days."

Fighting tears, Sarah forced herself to say the words she needed so desperately wanted to say. "I'm so sorry. So sorry to put you through this."

"I know. Please don't be. Be sad for the baby, but not for me."

"But you're hurting, too. That hurts the most."

Matt kissed her cheek and her hair. "We'll get through this, Sparrow. I love you, and you love me. We'll help each other, okay? God will be there with us."

Nodding in answer, Sarah wondered how it was possible to love someone so much _. I don't deserve him,_ she thought. _He needs just as much comfort as I do, but all I can do is lie here._ Sarah sighed, exhaustion pulling at her once again.

Matt loved the sound of her voice. Even a small sigh, when they were in an embrace, would normally thrill him. But Sarah's sigh just now had brought a lump to his throat. She was grieving, just as he was.

After a few more minutes, Sarah's eyes drifted closed. Feeling as if he were rooted to the spot, Matt stood and watched her sleeping. He knew he needed to pray for Sarah—not only for her physical healing, but for her to be healed of the grief and the guilt she carried. But he had let her down. Would she resent him at some point for not being there for her, for placing work over her? What would Lee and Amanda say when they found out he had left their daughter alone?

SMKSMKSMKSMKSMKSMK

With Lee's arm wrapped around her shoulders, Amanda had a physical reminder of her husband's strength. But in reality, she did not really need the support. She was not all that tired, having slept during the flight. Lee had hardly slept at all. And while she was feeling distressed over Sarah, she knew that Lee was far more upset than she was. He was not fond of hospitals, and he was particularly unhappy in them when a loved one was lying ill or injured. So, while it appeared that Lee was helping Amanda bear up, she knew that he was leaning on her—heavily—at the moment.

Perhaps Matt's cell phone had been turned off, or perhaps he was sleeping, but he had not responded to their calls since the plane had landed over an hour ago. They had been hesitant to call Phillip or Jamie, expecting them to have gone home already. Instead, they had called the nurses' desk for an update on Sarah. As they approached the ICU, Amanda placed her arm around Lee's waist and squeezed. Her sons were there in the waiting room. Phillip was sound asleep, his body draped over three of the chairs. Jamie rose to greet them, hugging both Amanda and Lee in turn.

His voice was hushed as he glanced back at his brother. "Phillip would kill me for saying this, but he's beat. He fell asleep four hours ago and has hardly moved. He was up all night last night and gave two units for Sarah today." At Amanda's questioning look, he continued. "Sarah has been awake on and off. She's aware, and her numbers were up earlier. She might need another unit of blood if her numbers go back down."

Amanda let her hand rest on Jamie's arm. "I'm so grateful you were here, Jamie. Thanks for being there for your sister and Matt." When he nodded in reply, she walked over and knelt by Phillip. "Sweetheart."

Phillip stretched painfully and looked at Amanda, confused. "Mom?" He stared at her for a moment before recognition dawned on his face. "Mom. You guys made it." He looked over at Lee and rose stiffly to a sitting position. "Hey, Lee."

"Sarah's doing better," Jamie put in. "I should take you home. It's after three a.m."

Phillip looked questioningly at his mother, but when she nodded in affirmation, he stood, hanging onto a chair for a moment before reaching for his jacket. "I'll come by tomorrow morning after I get some things settled at work. I have to cover for Matt on an assignment." He reached over and gave his mother a peck on the cheek before patting Lee's shoulder. "I'm sorry I didn't tell you guys sooner. You were with Emily, and…"

"You already apologized, son. You didn't know Sarah was going to lose the baby. And you helped save her life by giving blood." Lee offered Phillip a quick hug. "Go home and get some sleep. We'll talk in the morning."

Jamie took Phillip's arm and urged him towards the stairs. "See you tomorrow, Mom. Lee. Love you guys."

Both anxious to see Sarah, Lee and Amanda turned to the ICU entrance and pressed the intercom button. After a nurse let them in the unit and showed them to Sarah's room, updating them briefly on her condition, their forward momentum stopped.

The monitors and other medical apparatus connected to Sarah conveyed the seriousness of her condition. Her skin was pale against the sheets and contrasted vividly with her dark hair. Matt was asleep, the lower half of his body in a chair and the upper half resting on the bed, his head on his folded arms. One hand lay protectively on Sarah's leg. He did not stir as Lee and Amanda approached the foot of the bed.

Lee's voice was low in timbre and in volume. "Aww, Pumpkin." His eyes were moist with unshed tears as he turned and stepped back out of the room, Amanda following him.

"Why is she so goddamn pale? This is a hospital. Can't they do something for her?"

Placing her hand on his arm and drawing close, Amanda attempted to console Lee. "I'm sure they're doing everything they can, Lee."

Both turned when Craig walked up to them. "Can I help you?"

Before Lee could say anything, Amanda was quick to reply. "Amanda and Lee Stetson."

There was a flash of recognition on Craig's face. "Sarah's parents—Matt told me you would be coming. I'm Craig, Sarah's nurse."

Nodding, Amanda went on. "My husband and I were just wondering how Sarah is doing." She glanced back at her daughter. "She's so terribly pale."

"Honestly, we would like to give her another unit or two of blood, but her husband has refused permission so far."

Amanda glanced back at the bed, where neither Sarah nor Matt had moved. "I'm fairly certain that was a mutual decision. Sarah has talked about her concerns before. We used to go together to give blood. It's been over a year since we've done it."

"I have it in my chart that you share the same blood type as Sarah. Is that true?"

Amanda now regarded Craig with interest. "Yeah. In fact, I had been thinking on the flight over that I would like to donate at least a unit for Sarah. I'm just not sure I would be allowed to, since I've been overseas."

"I believe that NEST rules supersede blood center rules. It would help your daughter greatly. I've been monitoring her blood counts and… Well, even one unit would probably be helpful at this point."

"Will it be enough? I haven't donated more than one unit before."

"Let's check your counts so we can be certain it's safe for you to donate anything. I'll be just a moment." Craig excused himself and went back to the nurses' desk.

Amanda turned to Lee, who was watching Sarah and Matt through the window. Matt stirred, lifting his head to look at Sarah before sitting back in his chair to stretch. Just as he glanced their direction, Lee and Amanda stepped into the room. Amanda was struck by Matt's haggard appearance and the expression on his face. Expecting him to be sleepy and careworn, she thought he seemed nervous, almost distressed at the sight of her and Lee.

He spoke first, his voice heavy with exhaustion. "Hi, Amanda. Hi Lee. I hope your flight was okay."

"Matt. We didn't mean to wake you."

Running a hand through his hair, Matt sat up stiffly in the chair, and then slowly rose to his feet. "It's okay. I should let you sit here and visit. I can step out of the room."

"No. Of course not. Please sit back down. We were sitting for hours. We can stand. It's breakfast time in the U.K., and I slept most of the way here."

Amanda knew just how weary Matt was when he hesitated only briefly before sitting back down in the chair. "They should be getting a blood sample in a few minutes. I would like to be here if Sarah wakes up."

"The nurse said she's woken up a few times." Lee glanced at Matt, but his eyes did not stay off of Sarah for long.

Stepping up to Matt's chair, Amanda rested an arm around his shoulders. "We're so sorry about the baby, sweetheart."

Matt had never heard Amanda call him sweetheart, Amanda's pet name for her close family members, before. He did not feel worthy of the gesture, but when Amanda stooped to hug him, he hugged her back. He was fighting back tears when she pulled away to look at him.

"Is she taking things pretty hard?" Amanda reached out and touched the blankets.

Running his hand through his hair, Matt's eyes went to Sarah as he answered Amanda. "Yeah. She blames herself, but it's not her fault. I wish I could get that through to her."

Amanda eyed Matt closely. "It's not anyone's fault."

His mouth drew into a straight line and he stared at the floor without replying.

Muffled footsteps sounded outside and Craig came into the room carrying a small tray. He looked at Matt. "I'm going to get another blood sample."

Matt stood and stepped out of the way while Craig drew out a vial of blood. Once he was finished, he turned back to Lee and Amanda. "We're checking blood gases and other things to see if Sarah is getting enough oxygen in her blood. Her numbers went up after the second unit, but they plateaued and started to dip a little. I need to get a baseline before we give her another unit."

Frowning, Matt stepped closer to the bed. "Another unit?"

Seeing the confusion on Matt's face, and wanting to avoid upsetting him, Amanda offered, "I'm hoping to donate at least one unit as soon as Craig takes me to wherever they do that sort of thing."

Lee's expression was troubled. "As much as I want Sarah to be well again quickly, are you sure you should be giving blood, Amanda?" He glanced at Sarah again.

Craig eyed Matt, who was watching Lee and Amanda with growing concern on his face. "Let's run these test results. I've got a stat order on them, so we should hear back soon. If Sarah's numbers have come up, we can wait a while longer."

"I can see by looking at her that she needs the blood. And the other nurse said she's got to get those numbers up so she can leave the ICU and eventually go home. Show me where to go."

Craig handed the blood sample to the lab assistant who was waiting outside Sarah's room. "I'll show you the way."

After Lee and Amanda left with the nurse, Matt returned to the bedside. Sarah had not stirred the entire time her parents were in the room. Even Craig taking a blood sample did not disturb her. He was still standing by the bedside, watching his wife, when Craig returned to the room and began switching out the I.V. bag. He turned to Craig and frowned.

"Why isn't she waking up? Shouldn't she have woken up when her parents were here? You were messing with her I.V. And now she doesn't seem to hear me talking to you."

"Her body is healing, Matt. The doctor gave her some hormones after the surgery that may have made her more wakeful for a while. It's possible they've worn off some by now."

But Matt could see that the nurse was just placating him. "Her oxygen levels are low. I should have given the okay to use that blood hours ago. What if her organs are being damaged by lack of oxygen?"

"Hey. Her levels just dropped. And we'll know more from the blood test than by that fingertip sensor. Your mother-in-law is going to give some blood—and if that's not enough, we still have the other blood downstairs." Craig finished with the new I.V. bag and regarded Matt for a moment. "Are you a praying man?"

Matt glanced at Craig with new interest. "Yeah, I am."

"Well, if it was my wife, I'd be fussing just like you are. But all that worrying won't do any good. Talk to God about it."


	11. Chapter 11

Written by Scooplet

Concept by Cheryl and Scooplet

Scarecrow and Mrs. King characters are the property of Shoot the Moon Productions and Warner Bros. Television. No copyright infringement intended. Not for commercial use. Sarah Stetson and Matt Granger are my creation, however, so please respect my right to claim ownership of them—I do not authorize permission to use them in stories not authored by me.

I Know He Watches Me, Part Two

Chapter Eleven

Having given up on sleep, Matt was standing in the corner of Sarah's hospital room. Lee had arranged for two additional chairs to be brought into the room so they could all hold vigil together. Having sat for hours since the previous afternoon, Matt could not remain in his chair. Every few minutes he would pace a little. Now he paced again.

"I'm sorry. I hope this isn't annoying you."

Amanda looked up and smiled. "Are you kidding? I've been married to a pacing man for over twenty-five years. I'm used to it." She watched Matt a moment as he stretched his muscles. "I'm sure this is hard for you. When was the last time you ate?"

Lee glanced at his wife and rolled his eyes. "Amanda, give the kid a break. You asked him that when we got back to the room an hour ago."

She chose to ignore Lee and persisted. "Sweetheart, you can't starve yourself like this. You'll become ill." She handed Matt the water bottle that he had barely touched. "At least drink this."

"Thanks, Amanda." Sipping the water absentmindedly, Matt glanced at the red bag slowly emptying itself into his wife's arm, and then watched her face. She had been sleeping so deeply before that she had seemed unconscious. Now she seemed to be aware of their presence. And her previously very pale skin now seemed to have a faintly pink tinge to it. He finished the water bottle and set it down on a tray table as he made his way over to the bed. Silently, Lee stood up and offered his chair. Sitting down, Matt took Sarah's hand and held it to his cheek. The stubble of his whiskers was rough to the touch. _Perhaps that will wake her_ , he though wryly.

"Sarah, I'm still here with you. Your mom and dad are here, too. We love you."

Lee, too, and then Amanda, had also noticed the change. They stared attentively, but rather than confuse Sarah with too many voices, they let Matt continue.

"It's time to wake up now, sweetie. Just let us know you can hear us, okay?"

Craig, who must have heard Matt talking to Sarah, walked into the room. Seeing the change in her, he stepped over to the bedside and checked the bag of donated blood and then took her blood pressure. After removing the stethoscope from his ears, he was cheerful. "Her blood pressure is definitely up, and the blood oxygen number looks much better on the monitor. Let me get a sample down to the lab." Looking at Matt, he prodded, "Keep talking to her. At this point it will be good to stimulate her. It will bring her numbers up further."

Matt rubbed a hand up Sarah's arm and stroked her hair. "Hey sleepyhead, it's time to wake up. You need to say hello to your folks." He leaned over and kissed Sarah on the forehead.

This time Sarah's eyes fluttered open. Staring at Matt for a moment, she watched as he reached for the cup of water and offered the straw to her. She shook her head, refusing, and looked around, dazed.

Her parents spoke almost simultaneously.

"Hello, sweetheart."

"Hey, Pumpkin."

Swallowing first, Sarah rasped out the words. "Mom, Daddy. When did you get here?"

When Matt offered her the straw again, Sarah took a sip of water.

"Oh, we've been watching our sleeping beauty for a while now."

Sarah smiled a little. "It's Cinderella, Daddy."

As Matt ducked out of the way, Lee and Amanda took turns hugging Sarah. "We're glad you're awake, Pumpkin. You had us worried for a while there."

"You should be with Emily."

"We needed to be with you and Matt, sweetheart." Amanda stroked Sarah's hair.

Lee picked up Sarah's hand and held it as his other arm snaked around his wife's waist.

Matt slipped from the room and stood just outside. He had been with Sarah all night. Her parents needed to be with her now.

A few minutes later, Craig passed him on the way to the nurses' station. "You should go back in there, man. Your wife is asking for you."

Stepping out of the room, Lee and Amanda switched places with Matt as he went back to Sarah. Lowering the bedrail and he sat on the edge of the bed facing her, the cup in his hand. He watched her face as she took a sip. Her eyes went to his—at first there was confusion in her expression, but then he saw the worry from earlier return. He placed the cup back on the tray table.

"What is it, hon?"

"I remember waking up—you've been here all night. I woke up twice."

"It's morning now. We're waiting to find out if you can go to a regular room."

"You look so tired, my love. I'm so sorry to put you through all this."

"Do you remember me telling you that you don't need to apologize?"

"Not very well. I just remember crying and you trying to comfort me." She sighed heavily. "I know you don't want me to apologize, but I can't help feeling like I need to. I lost our baby." This time when she sighed, there was a whimper, too, and her eyes glistened.

He felt his own eyes grow moist as he placed his hand against her cheek. "I'm sad about the baby, too. But please don't say it's your fault." He leaned in and kissed her on the lips. "I love you, my precious wife. Like I said earlier, we'll get through this together, okay?"

"I remember you saying that."

He kissed her again and took her hands in his. "Let's pray."

SMKSMKSMKSMKSMK

Matt, Lee, and Amanda were waiting in the hall outside Sarah's new hospital room when Matt spotted his parents coming around the corner from the nurses' station. He met them halfway.

After they hugged in greeting, Sharon wanted updates.

"So, that extra unit of blood did the trick? How great that Amanda could donate."

"Yeah. She seems fine, so that's good. They might have rushed her out of ICU a little quickly, but someone else needed that room more than she did."

"But Sarah is better?" Sharon prodded.

"Yeah. She's not so pale now, and she's more alert. The nurse is changing her gown and whatever, and getting her settled."

David joined in the conversation. "How is she doing, really? How are you, son?"

"Well, we're both upset about the baby. She's not crying as much as she was. Truth be told, I'm so relieved that she's better, I feel guilty for not being more upset about the baby."

"That's pretty normal, hon." Sharon regarded Matt for a moment. "You seem better in another way."

"Sarah and I prayed." When his mother nodded soberly, Matt felt as if he had to lighten the mood. "And not long ago, Lee brought me some eggs and toast."

His father chuckled a little. "Great. But I'm sure you'll have room for breakfast tacos." David held up a bag. "Your mother sent me out early this morning for potatoes and tortillas."

Sharon rolled her eyes and took David's arm. "Come on, David. Let's go say hello to Lee and Amanda. Sarah should be ready to see us, soon." She turned to Matt. "We have some clothes and a few things so you can freshen up."

The Grangers and Stetsons were greeting one another when the nurse opened the door to Sarah's room. As Sharon quickly pulled her aside, Matt slipped into the room.

Instead of the artificial muted light of the ICU, Sarah's private room was sunny, overlooking the parking lot and the hospital garden. Blossoming trees dominated the garden and daffodils could be seen along its pathways. Right away Matt felt his mood improve, and he hoped that Sarah's had as well. He guessed that she had asked the nurse to open the blinds, since they had been closed when Sarah was first wheeled into the room.

In the bright light, Sarah still appeared pale, but Matt could clearly see that there was a little pink in her skin. He silently praised God for her improvement as he went over and took her hand.

"You comfortable?"

"I'm okay—it's nice having the fresh gown and all—but there are a few tubes I'd like to get rid of."

Matt tried to be cheerful and nonchalant. "Well, at least you're in this sunny room instead of the ICU. If you keep getting better, maybe the tubes will be gone by tonight."

"Yes. Maybe I'll be able to get out of bed, too."

When Lee and Amanda came into the room, Matt stepped out.

Amanda was at Sarah's bedside in an instant, hugging her daughter and adjusting her pillow and blankets. But Sarah was eyeing her father, who stood by the windows, watching them.

"Daddy, you look tired. Have you even been home?"

Lee ran a hand through his hair. "I'm fine. I want to be here with you—it makes me happy to see you awake with your mother fussing over you."

"I guess I was pretty out of it. I don't remember everything." Sarah's eyes went to Amanda, who had finally seated herself in the chair by Sarah's bedside. "I heard you and Phillip donated blood for me. Thank you."

"We're just glad to see you doing so much better, sweetheart."

"Are you feeling okay? You haven't donated in a while." Sarah watched her mother, a concerned expression on her face.

"I feel fine. It's good to sit down, but they fed me after I donated, and your father and I ate something in the cafeteria while they moved you here."

The nurse entered the room, a container of jello in one hand and a few packages of crackers in the other. "I've got breakfast!" Smiling, she set the crackers down and opened the jello before handing it to Amanda with a spoon. "Perhaps you'd like to help Sarah. She can eat small bites. If that goes down well, she can eat a cracker or two." She looked Sarah in the eye. "Just little bites. You might feel okay—or even be hungry—but we want to be sure this stays down before we can give you anything else. You've had several different medications and they can mess with your stomach."

To demonstrate her compliance, Sarah took the small bite of jello her mother offered her. After she swallowed, she asked her parents, "I take it you and Carol, my nurse, met in the hall?"

Amanda offered Sarah another bite of jello. "Yes. Sharon was eager to ask questions—ones I had never thought to ask—they're waiting outside."

"Oh. Matt said they had come." She placed a hand on top of her mother's. "I can't believe you left Emily to come home. I'm so sorry."

"We needed to be here with you, Pumpkin." Lee looked down at his shoes, and then out the window. His voice was gruff. "We were afraid we might lose you." Lee stepped up the bedside and placed a hand on Sarah's shoulder. Then he smoothed the hair away from her face.

Realizing that he had not made that gesture in years, Sarah swallowed back the urge to cry. She had put her loved ones through so much. If only she had not gotten pregnant in the first place. But Sarah remembered the joy she and Matt had experienced at hearing their baby's heartbeat. They may not have seen their child, but they had had one. That morning, before they had transferred Sarah out of the ICU, she had had another moment alone with Matt. She remembered their conversation.

" _They did some kind of surgery on me."_

" _Yeah." He brought a hand to cup her cheek, trying to reassure her._

 _Sarah thought she did not deserve such a sweet and loving husband._

" _It was the only way to stop the bleeding. It was pretty bad."_

 _She could barely whisper the next words. "Will I be able to get pregnant again? Can we have more children?"_

 _Matt had sat down in the chair by her bed so he could look her in the eyes. At first she thought the news would be too much to bear. "You know that our little one was gone when you got to the hospital, right? That's part of the reason you had surgery."_

" _Yes. I figured that out. We cried about it. I remember that." Sarah had felt the urge to cry again, but she was desperate to hear what Matt had to say._

" _Well, they not only saved your life, but Dr. Elliott says you should have no trouble becoming pregnant again. We need to wait at least a few months for you to recover, but you're going to be fine. You lost a lot of blood, but they gave you three units. You should be feeling better soon."_

" _Three units? That seems like a lot. Phillip donated more than one?"_

" _Yeah, he did. The doctors wanted to give you more blood, but they decided you were okay with the three units."_

Matt's expression had been pained, so Sarah had dropped the topic. Soon after, the nurses had prepared her for moving to the new room. A lot had happened in the last hour, and she was growing tired now. She slowly chewed the cracker her mother had given her. As if noticing that Sarah had drifted, Amanda reached for the water cup.

"You are getting sleepy, aren't you? Just take a few sips of this, sweetheart."

Just then Sharon knocked on the open door. "May we come in for a little visit? We won't stay long. We know Sarah needs to rest."

Sharon and David each offered Sarah a hug. She was grateful when they did the talking.

"So, Matt is taking a quick shower." Sharon looked over at Lee and Amanda. "They sure treat you folks nicely here. Special visiting hours, shower privileges."

Lee's grin was sardonic. "Well, they have a good gig here."

Sarah could not read David's expression when he responded to her father. "I know Matt was here last fall. They get a lot of government business, so to speak?"

Seeing that David was not in a joking mood, Lee grew more serious. "Yeah. For people working here in D.C. If someone on assignment or out of the area needs specialized care, they might be flown here for treatment."

"But Sarah was not on assignment, was she? She was home—Matt brought her here…"

"Well…"

Sarah watched her father. Years of working in intelligence had made him one of the best at keeping up a cover and explaining his way out of things. This was no different. He could not give details about his role at the Agency or his relationship with the people who coordinated the NEST program. And he could not talk about the details of the injuries that had brought Sarah and Matt to the hospital more than once the previous fall. "Let's just say they know me and my family. From what Matt tells me, Sarah's emergency room physician was the same one who has treated her before." He sighed. "Unfortunately Sarah has had the opportunity to make friends here."

Just then Matt returned, his hair damp. The clothes he had been wearing since the previous morning had been replaced with a blue t-shirt and a pair of jeans. Sarah noted that he still had shadows under his eyes and stubble on his face, but he appeared somewhat refreshed.

"Well, it's getting crowded in here," David said. "We should step out for a while." He glanced at Matt. "Your mother has a few errands she wants to run. We'll be back later."

"Everything okay at the apartment, Dad? You finding what you need?"

Sharon answered quickly, before David could. "We're just fine. I thought we'd get those groceries I asked you about earlier." Matt's forehead creased as he watched her, but she did not seem to notice as she blew Sarah a kiss. "Have Matt text us if you need anything from home."

Before Sharon and David could leave, there was a knock on the door again. Rene was there with Francine and Grace.

Sarah could no longer concentrate on the conversations around her. Rene was trying to greet her, and all three of her visitors had brought flowers or plants. She found herself too tired to respond. Despite the quiet chatter in the room, her eyes drifted shut.

When she opened them again, only Matt was in the room with her. The blinds had been closed partway, allowing only soft, filtered light into the room. With the door to the hallway shut, it was quiet for the first time since she had arrived at the hospital.

"How're you feeling, sweetie?" He sat down on the foot of the bed and idly rubbed her leg.

"I'm still kind of tired. How long was I asleep?"

"About a half an hour. You should have seen your mother. The minute your eyes drifted shut, she was politely clearing the room and ordering me to do something with the blinds. She and your dad went home for a little while."

"I guess I'm not up for visitors."

"Me, neither. But it was really nice of them to make the effort."

"It was really nice. But it's nice in here now."

"The nurse is going to put up a request that visitors call the nurses' station first. Your mom told your brothers to come by this afternoon."

"Okay." She sighed sleepily, regarding her husband for a moment. "Matt, I'm doing pretty well here, and I may just take a nap for a while. Why don't you go home and get some rest, too?"

"Are you trying to get rid of me?"

Sarah was sorry to see that Matt seemed to be half-serious. She rushed to answer him. "Of course not. But frankly, you look exhausted."

Standing, he drew closer to the head of the bed. "I want to stretch out in that chair and take a nap along with you."

Sarah glanced at the reclining chair—there was one in each hospital room, if she remembered correctly. She had seen Matt try to sleep in one before. While she had managed to nap in them, he was too tall to be comfortable. He noticed her dubious expression. "Seriously. I'm not leaving here until you go home with me. I had a shower, so I won't smell bad."

She laughed softly. At his expression, she continued, her voice quiet. "I was so glad you were there last night, my love. I really needed you."

Leaning down to kiss her, Matt spoke softly in her ear. "Me, too. I need you to stay with me for many more years, Beloved." He kept his face near hers for a moment, as if relishing the closeness, before going to the easy chair by the bed.

Sarah watched him lie back in the chair and close his eyes. Before, when he had tried to rest in one of those chairs, it had taken him several minutes to get comfortable. Now, he did not move, and in what seemed like less than a minute, he was fast asleep, breathing evenly. He was so tired, and all because of her. Sighing unhappily, Sarah lay there watching him for some time before she fell asleep herself.

SMKSMKSMKSMKSMKSMK

Both Matt and Sarah were relieved when she was discharged the next afternoon. Sarah overheard Matt telling her parents that having Sharon, a registered nurse, there to help care for her had been part of the reason she could leave the hospital so soon.

It had been heartwarming to see all of the cards and flowers that had come to both of them from such a wide range of acquaintances. Besides their friends, fellow churchgoers, and family, Sarah's class at the Agency had chipped in on a plant. Lee and Amanda had been on hand for much of the time, Amanda greeting visitors and ensuring they did not stay for more than a few minutes. Pastor Carlson was the only one besides their parents who stayed longer, taking time to pray with them.

Lee and Amanda had been helpful. Their presence gave Matt the freedom to leave the room, either to spend more time with a visitor or to sit with his own parents. David had left that morning, saying that he did not want to be underfoot when Matt and Sarah returned home. Matt knew he made a valid point, but he missed having his father's quiet reassurance nearby.

Despite Amanda's vigilance, Matt and Sarah were both weary of people. Matt was accustomed to having Sarah to himself—he knew that was not fair to her, but he was running on lack of sleep and his patience was wearing thin. So, when Lee spoke up, Matt was relieved at his words.

"Listen, once we drop you folks off, we're going to head home."

When Sarah started to protest, Lee put up a hand. "You've had enough visitors for a while. You need some time by yourselves. I know your mom will be staying on for a couple more days, Matt. You can have some time alone with her."

"It will be good just to catch up on some sleep." _In our own bed. Just me and my wife. No nurses or other visitors._ "But you should spend some time with Sarah, too."

Amanda was quick to answer. "I'll make a meatloaf and bring it by tonight. I already talked to Sharon."

Relieved at his mother-in-law's thoughtfulness, Matt offered her a weary smile. "Thanks, Amanda."

True to his word, Lee helped Amanda and Sharon unload the flowers and plants from the car. Once Sarah was seated in the living room, Lee ducked out of the room, taking Amanda by the hand as he left. Matt chuckled as he heard her good-naturedly complain about being dragged down the stairs.

Turning back to the couch, he watched as his mother, having already helped Sarah remove her shoes so she could lie down, expertly plumped pillows and covered her with a throw.

He could hear the fatigue in his wife's voice as she complimented his mother. "You are an expert nurse, Sharon. Thanks."

"Well, it seemed for a few years there that I got just as much practice with my kids as I did at a hospital. I haven't worked full-time since I was…" Sharon's voice dropped off and she went to the kitchen. "Would you like some iced tea, dear? How about you, Matt?"

Matt sat down in the chair opposite Sarah and shared a smile with her. He knew that his mother had been about to say "pregnant with Matt." He had heard that story before and could have told it himself. It seemed as if everyone was tiptoeing around them, trying to spare their feelings. Patti had stayed away from the hospital, but she had sent enchiladas for his dinner the night before. He imagined that she was trying to avoid the visual reminder that she was pregnant—very pregnant—and Sarah no longer was.

There was no denying that they were grieving. A mother and her baby had been discharged at the same time as Sarah. Noting the single car seat in the sedan, Matt had been able to tell the baby was obviously a firstborn, and perhaps the firstborn grandchild. It had seemed to be the woman's mother who waited with her and the baby as the young father had gone to get the car. Matt had seen Sarah watching the family, and as he and Sarah waited for Lee to drive up to the door, Matt had crouched next to her wheelchair. They had said nothing, but her eyes had been glistening and each had gripped the other's hand, drawing strength from one another.

He knew that God would not take their baby without a good reason. Surely it would have been difficult for Sarah to be assigned to New York or another office during the last half of the pregnancy. Matt knew that trials were a way for people to become stronger. There had to be something they were to learn from the experience. For now, he knew that they were just as close as ever, if not closer. It pained him to think that losing their first child would be a way for their marriage to grow stronger, but who was he to question the ways of God?


End file.
